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@bfcdublin Bohemians responded brilliantly to Friday's defeat in Derry by once again putting Bray Wanderers to the sword at the Carlisle Grounds on Monday, Shane Quinn reports.
 The Gypsies’ performance was full of purpose, grit and desire, with two opportunistic strikes by Christy Fagan sealing the win. The Gypsies were not fancied to win against an in-form Bray outfit, but huge credit must go to the visiting players. Bray unexpectedly had last Friday’s scheduled home match with Dundalk postponed due to a flooded pitch. After a 10-day rest, they should have been the fresher side following Bohs’ round trip to Derry, but you never would have known it.
The Seagulls, after recent seasons of struggling at the foot of the table, have been doing brilliantly under Pat Devlin since he took charge once again in August 2010. Prior to this defeat, they had won four of their past five league games, and have beaten leaders Shamrock Rovers home and away.
The rain came teeming down an hour before kick-off, but there was to be no cancellation this time. Bohs started the game stronger with Fagan hitting wide from Mark Rossiter’s well-judged pass. Rossiter himself was having a notable impact at this point, with two searing runs inducing panic in the Bray defence.
After Bohs enjoyed the better of the opening stages, Bray began to play their way into the first half. Centre-back Derek Prendergast passed up a gilt-edged opportunity in the 31st minute. Gary Dempsey’s free-kick picked out Prendergast, unmarked, but he headed directly into keeper Barry Murphy’s arms.  Following their steady improvement, Bray were hit with a sucker-punch at the hands of former Manchester United youth team player Fagan. Killian Brennan delivered and Fagan’s header was initially saved by Matt Gregg but for him to follow it up as good strikers should, by sweeping the rebound into the net (36).
The intensity of the visitors’ work-rate was obvious from an early stage and was unsettling Bray. In addition, the link-up play between the Bohs midfield, and Fagan in attack, was stretching their opponents’ defence.
Bohs manager Pat Fenlon’s half-time team talk worked wonders as his players sped 2-0 ahead two minutes after the restart. Home defender Shane O’Connor carelessly headed the ball across his own six-yard box, and Fagan pounced on to it before Gregg to bundle over the line. Cue triumphant scenes in the away end, where the soaked, diehard visiting fans were huddled.
Conceding again so soon was a massive setback to Bray, who looked shaken. They were certainly not helped by substitute Shane O’Neill passing up a golden chance when put through by Dempsey. O’Neill had only Murphy to beat but his shot clipped the outside of the near post and went harmlessly wide.
 The rain continued to fall before Bray scored out of the blue on 79 minutes when captain Dempsey picked the ball up before hitting a 25-yard screamer that flew high into the net.
How would Bohs react? Pretty well, as substitute Keith Buckley went within six inches of restoring the two-goal cushion when his fine chip dropped narrowly over the crossbar. With the game increasingly stretched in the dying moments, striker Conor Murphy somehow shot wide for Bray when all alone in the box. With that, their chance of earning a point had gone.
BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; S O’Connor, Mitchell, Prendergast, Kendrick (McGuinness, 72); Mulroy (O’Neill, 60), D O’Connor (Doyle, 74), Dempsey (C), Shields, Massey; Murphy.
BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Heary (C), Burns, Price, Rossiter; Forrester (Buckley, 71), Cronin (Traynor, 67), O’Brien (Hurley, 90), Bayly, Brennan; Fagan.
POSSESSION - Bray: 49%; Bohs: 51%.
ATTEMPTS ON TARGET - Bray: 5; Bohs: 5.
ATTEMPTS OFF TARGET - Bray: 5; Bohs: 6.
CORNERS - Bray: 3 Bohs: 4.
YELLOW CARDS - Bray: Mitchell, Massey, D O’Connor; Bohs: Cronin, Forrester, Bayly.
REFEREE - Derek Tomney (Dublin).
Written by Shane Quinn
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