Bray Wanderers 1 Dundalk 3
A little over a year ago when the talk was that Ronan Finn had been signed to replace Richie Towell, but with last year's top scorer have actually departed during this close season, Finn started the new season what turned out to be a straightforward enough first win of the season at the Carlisle Grounds on Saturday in full Towell mode, sitting in beside Stephen O'Donnell in front of the back four and looking at every opportunity to get on the ball so as to start pushing the champions forward.
Here, it looked like the role was made for him and though he ended the night further forward as the slightly subdued Pat McEleney was replaced and Chris Shields came on to help subdue an energetic Bray midfield, it was easy to see why Stephen Kenny may not have feared losing last year's playmaker quite as much as some of the supporters did.
“Yeah well, since I was a kid, that’s the way I’ve always played,” said the former Shamrock Rovers star afterwards. “Stephen when he had me at Rovers, he liked having me in front of the midfield, behind the striker but it’s a trickier position because you’re easier marked, you’re already there; I think when you come deeper, and Richie was brilliant at it, you can make late runs into the box because he was so fit and teams couldn’t track him.”
Ciaran Kilduff was actually Bray’s most immediate problem with the striker getting two good goals early on that left the home side chasing things against a side that, while someway short of its best, was better in every department.
They got one back before the break when Dean Kelly’s free took a deflection from the wall. At the time the locals were giving it to Mark Salmon while Finn thought it had come off Ryan Brennan but while the debate rumbled on aferwards, Kelly was determined to claim it for himself.
Wanderers’ back four generally looked stretched as they tried to contain their opponents and somebody picking up a second yellow always looked to be on the cards. In the end, it was Kurtis Murphy who walked and shortly afterwards Finn wrapped up the win with a low drive from distance.
“The goal only came when I’d moved into the further on position,” he said. “But I sort of had it in my head that if I could get a goal, get off the mark early; that it would relieve a bit of the pressure. I think that the first goal of the season is always the hardest to get. It’s great that Ciaran got two. His confidence will be flying now and that’s great; we can kick on.”
BRAY WANDERERS: Cherrie; Harding, McNally, Kenna, Murphy; Byrne; McDonagh (Connolly, 63 mins), Salmon, Brennan, Moore; Kelly (Lewis, 79 mins).
DUNDALK: Rogers; Barrett, Boyle, Gartland, Massey; Finn, O'Donnell (Benson, 86 mins); Mountney (Meenan, 37 mins), McEleney (Shields, 74 mins), Horgan; Kilduff.
Referee: P Sutton (Clare).
