Bray Wanderers returned to winning ways after three consecutive defeats with a 4-0 comprehensive thumping of an Athlone Town side who never truly got going.
First Half
Bray started the game poorly, with misplaced passes and failure to create much. Athlone had one chance to take the lead during the early stages through Kailin Darlow, but his attempt was well stopped by Bray keeper Jimmy Corcoran.
It didn’t take long for Bray to wake up, however, and after 20 minutes, their efforts were rewarded with the opening goal when Billy O’Neill played a ball across the box to Conor Knight, who took a touch and struck the ball cleanly past Lee Axworthy Duggan.
That goal seemed to lift Bray who really got into their flow at this point, and just nine minutes later Paull Heffernan’s side doubled their lead, it was boy wonder O’Neill that set up the goal once again, playing a brilliant ball over the top from his own half to Cian Curtis who rounded Axworthy Duggan, and netted his third league goal of the campaign.
Athlone had a slightly brighter end to the first half, playing noticeably better and beginning to click. They had to chance to grab one back just before the break, but Dylan Hand sent his close range header just wide of the woodwork.
Second Half
Athlone continued their bright spell into the second half, and, once again came close to halving the defecit, when Dean Williams showed great movement in the box and got his shot off, but it was valiantly blocked by Paul Murphy to keep The Seagulls in complete control.
Bray got their grip back quickly, and it didn’t take long for them to put the game beyond doubt. Cian Curtis squared the ball to Billy O’Neill on the left hand side of the box, O’Neill went for it himself from a tight angle to, and the ball nestled into the top right corner, an absolute screamer from Billy O’Neill to cap off a brilliant performance from the 17 year old.
It was all Bray from this point on, and The Seasiders looked relentless, and skipper Kilian Cantwell made it four in the 66th minute, Max Murphy delivered a corner over to the far post, Cantwell rised highest and headed home to round off a dominant display.
The Seagulls understandably took their foot off the gas a little from this point onwards, and Athlone has a few chances to grab a consolation, notably in the 75th minute when Jimmy Corcoran smothered Dean Williams goalbound effort.
In the final fifteen minutes, the game lost it’s momentum and nothing of significance occoured.
Post Match Thoughts
It was a very professional performance from a young Bray squad, playing with maturity well beyond their years. The Green and White weren’t particularly great in the first half but took the chances they were given and went in with a comfortable lead. It was a much better display from them in the second half, where they were all over Athlone and didn’t give The Midlanders a look in. Wanderers have set a new club record of 17 league games with a goal scored in a row.
It was a worrying performance from an Athlone point of view, they gave Bray too many opportunities while failing to create much of their own, this makes it 15 defeats in their last 16 games, as they sit bottom of the league.
Bray Wanderers now sit a healthy eight points clear of 4th placed Treaty United, and are very secure in their playoff position, 11 points clear of 6th placed Wexford. They closed the gap to Cobh Ramblers in 2nd to five points, and their gap to the summit remains nine.
Athlone have stuck even further to the bottom, with their gap to Longford Town who currently sit in 9th growing to six points, the Westmeath side are going to need a very drastic turn of form if they are to salvage anything from this season.
MOTM: Billy O’Neill. Need I say more.