Derek O'Brien sends the ball up for another Galway United attack on Fridays game in Terryland. Photo: Reg Gordon

Galway United 2
Bray Wanderers 3

It is not often a team which has lost six games in a row can come away from a game with their heads held high, but Galway United's defeat at the hands of Bray Wanderers on Friday night, in Jeff Kenna's first managerial outing, was one such occasion.

A heart-breaking goal by Ger Rowe in the 90th minute undid all the good work United had produced in coming back from a two-goal deficit, after a brace from Paddy Kavanagh in the first half was cancelled out by a Stephen O'Flynn penalty and a fine strike from Vinny Faherty.

Kenna received a rapid reality check after only 92 seconds when Kavanagh struck the opener. Mark McCulloch's clearance fell to the feet of Alan Cawley, whose pass allowed Kavanagh slip the ball under Rogers' dive.

Bray doubled their lead on the half-hour mark when a long punt from goalkeeper Chris O'Connor carved United open again. Rowe beat John Fitzgerald to the ball and flicked it perfectly into the path of Kavanagh, who galloped unopposed to the edge of the area and drilled home the second.

United emerged early for the second half with a few home truths ringing in their ears and this fresh impetus immediately reaped benefits.

Following some direct running, Derek O'Brien was hacked down in the Bray area and the referee pointed to the spot. O'Flynn dispatched the penalty sending Chris O'Connor the wrong way, much to the delight of the Terryland faithful.

United continued to press hard in search of the equaliser, which duly arrived in the 70th minute. Reserve Mark Leech laid off a Regi Nooitmeer cross to Vinny Faherty, who managed to pick himself up off the turf and fire the equaliser into the roof of the net – his first senior goal for the club.

Unfortunately, it was the impressive Cawley that again proved the undoing of United on the stroke of full-time. The defence failed to clear his free-kick from wide on the right and it fell kindly to Rowe. His shot from just inside the area flew into the bottom corner of Rogers' net, condemning United to a cruel and undeserved defeat.

Galway United: Rogers; Nooitmeer, Fitzgerald, Lester (Sinnott, 41), McCulloch; O'Shea, Fenn, Deegan, O'Brien; O'Flynn (Leech, 66), Faherty (Molloy, 88).

Bray Wanderers: O'Connor; Pender, Doherty, Foran (Kenny, 54), Cronin; Whelan, Tresson, Cawley, Duggan (McCabe, 73); Kavanagh, Rowe (Dunphy, 90).

Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).

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