Dundalk weren't at their best but did enough to maintain top spot in the Premier Division courtesy of Patrick Hoban and John Mountney strikes. It was Hoban's sixth goal of the campaign for the Lilywhites and it looked to be the winner, until the 94t
Dundalk weren't at their best but did enough to maintain top spot in the Premier Division courtesy of Patrick Hoban and John Mountney strikes.
It was Hoban's sixth goal of the campaign for the Lilywhites and it looked to be the winner, until the 94th minute when Mountney sealed matters.
It was a much improved Bray Wanderers side as Graham Kelly took charge of the side. There were definitely signs of life in the Seagulls but a lack of a cutting edge saw them come up short at the Carlisle Grounds. With Martin Russell watching from the home dugout, Bray Wanderers displayed a resilient shell.
They asked the first question when a Kevin Lynch saw the ball fall unexpectedly to Paul O'Conor. The midfielder couldn't react in time though and merely bundled the ball into Gabriel Sava's hands.
Table-toppers Dundalk should have trailed in the 13th minute. Ronan Coughlan's threaded pass through a static Dundalk defence set-up Aaron Greene but the striker - without a goal to his name in 2018 - drilled his effort wide when he should have scored.
Aaron Dillon is a man normally under the cosh but in the first half on Friday he only had two things to do; bat away a Robbie Benson cross-cum-shot and pick the ball out of the back of the net.
Ex-Liverpool youngster Kristian Adorjan's corner bounced around the Bray penalty area and fell to Patrick Hoban and he instinctively swept home with a smart finish. A Rhys Gorman shot was deflected out to the right flank in the 45th minute and worked to Gary McCabe. He danced inside two sliding tackles and cut into the box. A potshot was fired towards the near post but Sava dealt with it well.
Sava was called upon moments later when a chipped pass from distance was chased down by O'Conor but Sava timed his run to perfection to beat the midfielder to it in the air and avert the danger. The icing was put on the cake four minutes into stoppage time as Mountney lashed home Michael Duffy's cutback.
