As we approach the midway point of the season, Bray Wanderers find themselves safely in the playoff spots despite some worrying performances and results throughout the first half of the season. Bray has been one of the First Division’s most entertaining teams, with the second most goals in the league behind Cork.
Bray Wanderers were expected to take a big leap forward this season after two straight years reaching the promotion/relegation final. No one defied expectations more than Bray last season; after losing key players like defensive stalwart Cole Omorehiomwan and top-scorer Christian Maguersan, they would still finish in 3rd position and win the First Division playoffs.
Many had Bray Wanderers as one of the favourites to challenge Cork City for the title this year, with some promising signings, including Tyreik Sammy and Daniel Ring on loan from Shelbourne. Sierra Leone international John Billi Sesay and Ifunanyachi Achara, who played in the United States.
The Seagulls started their season with three wins out of six games, albeit during a run against some tough opponents, but still below the expectations set at the start. The season opened with a disappointing 1-all draw at home to Longford, followed by a two-game away stretch, a win against Treaty, and, more importantly, a 1-nil loss to Cork City, where Jimmy Corcoran earned man of the match shouts to keep the game competitive, making seven saves. Highlighting some of the gaps in quality between Bray and title favourites Cork.
Bray Wanderers kept up in the title race with some good results towards the end of March, but it would all come crashing down in April, where the Seagulls would go on a horror run that would see them slip away from the top of the table.
Bray Wanderers started April with a 2-1 loss away to rivals Wexford, followed by a 1-all draw at home to Finn Harps. Two straight losses to both Longford and Athlone came straight after. A horror run would seem to start to dissipate after a good performance saw Bray capture a point at home against league leaders Cork City. It would fail to get them going, as they would draw at home to Treaty and once again lose away to Finn Harps. Bray went the entire month of April without a league win, and in early May, it looked like the trend might continue. Many Bray fans called for a change in management, disillusioned with some of the horrific results after having such high expectations for the season.
With the pressure mounting, on May 8th the Seagulls would turn in one of their best performances of the season, defeating Cobh Ramblers 5-1 thanks to a Ben McCormack hat-trick in just 39 minutes. Followed by a 4-3 away win against second-placed UCD, Bray have won 3 of their last four in the league, most recently demolishing Wexford 4-nil at home.
Ben McCormack has been a key man in the turnaround for Bray; his five goals in two games against Cobh and UCD are a key element in the positive feeling around the club in the recent uptick in form. Ben has been the Seagulls’ top goal scorer with 7 in the First Division this season including two assists which makes him the club’s top goal contributor.
An important note is the departure of Billy O’Neill, one of Bray’s key players over the past two seasons. Billy has undoubtedly been the Wanderers’ best player for the last year and a half, with his 23 goal contributions since the start of the 2025 season resulting in playoff final wins and his brace against Finglas United most recently sending Bray to the Leinster Senior Cup final. Billy departs for Bristol City, an amazing move for his career and will certainly make him one to watch for League of Ireland fans.
When looking at Bray’s mid-season position, while they have failed to follow the expectations of a title challenge. Sitting in 4th position on 27 points, they still have a comfortable enough position in the playoffs, which is always the minimum requirement for a club with the recent success of Bray. The squad has proved that they are more than capable of navigating the playoffs and being able to once again have a crack at promotion through the playoff system, now that the title is fairly out of reach with Bray being 15 points behind leaders Cork City. The key for Bray in the second half of the season will be consistency and staying in the playoff spots, push for as good a position as possible even if the title is out of reach. Second will provide a favourable playoff berth.
Player of the Season So Far: Ben McCormack
Season Rating: 6/10