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Sligo win eventful clash to reclaim fourth

Saturday 11th August 2007, 10:05 pm

Eddie Gormley, Bray Wanderers manager.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Sligo Rovers returned to fourth in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland following a 3-0 win over Bray Wanderers in an eventful game at the Showgrounds tonight. As well as three goals, the game also saw three red cards as Bray failed to claim any points in their battle to avoid getting dragged into the relegation places.

Sligo went into the game looking to stay in the hunt for a European place and Matthew Judge shook off an injury scare to put them ahead after only three minutes. Judge nipped in to slot home after Bray keeper Steve Williams had fluffed his attempted clearance from a back pass.

Both sides were reduced to ten men on the half hour when Sligo's Danny Ventre and Bray's Mark Duggan clashed after a poor tackle by the Sligo player.

Sligo went 2-0 up just after the hour following Clive Delaney's sending off for dragging back Conor O'Grady on his way to goal. Fahrudin Kudozovic slotted home the resulting penalty for his eleventh goal of the season.

Bray boss Eddie Gormley was ordered from the touchline shortly after as Bray lost their way. Gormley's assistant Keith Long had been ordered to the stand following the first half red cards and Bray's indiscretions are likely to hit them hard when the FAI's disciplinary committee sits.

Stephen Manson netted his first goal for Rovers to make it 3-0 just before the end when he got in to finish off Brian Cash's cross.

Sligo Rovers : Brush, Coleman, MacKenzie, Peers, Ventre, Cretaro, O'Grady, Boyd (Curran 75), Hughes, Kuduzovic (Manson 82), Judge (Cash 72).
Bray Wanderers : Williams, Kenny, Delaney, Deans, Cronin (Gough 68), Kavanagh (Onwubika 59), Cawley (Georgescu 82), Duggan, McCabe, O'Shea, Fox.