Soccer

Bray Wanderers denied first win by bizarre Longford goal

Ball cannoned back off David O’Sullivan from a clearance

David O’Sullivan played a bizarre part in Longford Town’s equaliser against Bray Wanderers at City Calling Stadium. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Sat Mar 19 2016 - 22:08

Longford Town 1 Bray Wanderers 1

Dean Kelly returned to score against his former club to give Bray Wanderers their first point of the season.

The chief talking point of a dreadfully poor game, however, was a freakish goal for Longford as they finished with 10 men at the City Calling Stadium for the second time this season.

Bray shaded a pretty dour first half with midfielder Dylan Connolly firing wide on 20 minutes the only real highlight.

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Longford then had the only effort on target before the interval, Josh O'Hanlon heading David O'Sullivan's cross straight at Peter Cherrie in first-half stoppage time.

The game thankfully sprang to life within a minute of the restart when Bray took the lead.

Jason Marks's ball in from the left was flicked on by Karl Moore for Kelly, who spent the second half of last season at Longford, to head home.

A bizarre goal then brought Longford their equaliser four minutes later.

Bray goalkeeper Cherrie’s attempted clearance from a back pass was shot straight at the back of O’Sullivan with the ball cannoning back into the unguarded net.

Longford finished with 10 men when midfielder Kevin O'Connor was sent off on 79 minutes for a foul on Robbie Creevy, his second booking.

LONGFORD TOWN: Skinner; Mulhall, Flynn, Rossiter (O'Reilly 10 mins), Powell (Dillon 70 mins); Gannon; O'Sullivan (McGlynn 88 mins), Hughes, O'Connor, Simon; O'Hanlon.

BRAY WANDERERS: Cherrie; Douglas, McNally, Kenna, Marks; Connolly (Noble 89 mins), Creevy (Salmon 81 mins), Brennan, Moore; Kelly, Lewis (Pender 77 mins).

Referee: Ben Connolly (Dublin).