Bray Wanderers 2 (Charles 6, Zayed 56 pen) Dundalk 0
Monaghan United 1 (Vaughan 25) Limerick 3 (O’Flynn 7, 41, Purcell 66)
---
Bray extended their unbeaten home run to fourteen games – 11 wins and 3 draws – with goals in each half against the lowly Lilywhites, who lie in tenth, and were set on their way by St Vincent’s international defender Wesley Charles after six minutes.
Midfielder Robbie McGuinness picked out the big defender with Bray’s first corner of the match, and Charles bulleted a header to the roof of Andy Bayliss’ net from eight yards.
Bray’s ascendancy continued with a barrage of attacks on the visitors’ goal – striker Kieran ‘Tarzan’ O’Brien saw his glancing header go just wide on 21 minutes and Dundalk defender Michael Coburn rescued his side a few minutes later when clearing off the line, after a Zayed shot had rebound off Bayliss. The visitors had a good spell before the end of the opening half, with shots from Simon Kelly and Paul Marney failing to get past Bray stopper John Walsh.
Eamon Zayed scored his sixteenth league goal of the season on 56 minutes and sealed the points for Bray after strike partner O’Brien found the U21 international in space and he was taken down inside the area by Dundalk defender Paul Curran and referee Paul Tuite pointed to the spot. Zayed dusted himself off to plant the resulting penalty kick home, but keeper Bayliss did manage to get a touch. Bray’s promotion push was back on track, having lost to Athlone 1-0 at St Mel’s Park on Friday, but with leaders Finn harps having won seven of their last eight league games, it could be a straight race between Bray and Dublin City for second spot, unless the Vikings can take full points against Noel King’s Donegal side at Whitehall on November 14.
Elsewhere in the First Division today Limerick went eight games unbeaten with a 3-1 win over second from bottom Monaghan at Century Homes Park. A brace from striker Stephen O’Flynn, moving him top of their scoring charts on 12, and a final goal from Pat Purcell after the hour mark was enough to keep up their promotion hopes in fifth place, six points behind Kildare in fourth, with 28 games played by both.