A point suffices as City secure First Division crown

By Donncha Noonan | Photo: Kevin Barry Dorney

After failing to wrap up the league title last week despite their 2-0 win, City travelled to Wicklow as matching or bettering the result of UCD would be enough to ensure City a spot in next year’s Premier Division campaign. Thanks to Cobh Ramblers’ 1-1 draw with UCD, a draw against Bray was enough for City as they confirmed their third First Division title in five years.

Barry Robson elected to make just one change from that Wexford win, with Conor Drinan returning to the side after injury to replace Josh Fitzpatrick.

As for Paul Heffernan, he went with two changes to his team that lost 2-1 in Athlone last time out. John Bilili Sesay and Richard Ferizaj came into the side, with Kyle Tucker and Jamie Ryan dropping out.

Bray started out fast looking to ruin City’s party mood, and went close to doing so after six minutes. A dinked ball was half cleared by City, with Alain Kizenga picking up the seconds. He slipped through a nice ball for Achara down the channel, but his shot was dealt with well by Conor Brann.

Bray’s brilliant beginning paid off as just five minutes later, the hosts took the lead. Achara returned the favour by threading a pass down the right channel for Kizenga, who pulled the ball across towards the edge of the box. It found the oncoming Ben McCormack, who played it once more to Ajibola Oluwabiyi, who calmly curled the ball into the far corner to give his side the advantage.

City weren’t affected much by this goal, continuing to try and go a bit more direct against this Bray backline, and it paid off as they notched an equaliser in the twenty-sixth minute. Cillian Murphy picked up the ball in midfield off of Niall O’Keeffe and clipped a ball into the path of Seani Maguire. He took the ball on his chest before smashing a shot past the keeper into the bottom left corner to level things.

City weren’t completely satisfied with the draw, and went in search of another, coming close in the thirty-eighth minute. A delivery from the left off a free-kick from Murphy found the head of Rory Feely, with the defender’s header looping towards the far post before crashing off the crossbar.

That was it for the action in the first half, where as it stood City were champions, but Bray were still looking to spoil the party.

 

 

 

City came out for the second half much calmer on the ball, but that gave Bray licence to attack, something they took advantage of and almost scored with five minutes into the half. An inviting delivery from a dead ball from McCormack found Jamie Duggan at the back post who tried to guide a header goalwards, but it went straight into the hands of Conor Brann.

Bray once again showed their potency in the air as they went close again fourteen minutes later. It was once again a McCormack free-kick that gave Bray an opportunity, and it was Endri Mustali who it found, but his header didn’t trouble Conor Brann too much with the keeper catching the effort.

The hosts’ mission took a major blow eight minutes later, as Bray went down to ten men. A late tackle from Sesay on Niall O’Keeffe earned the midfielder a second yellow card of the night, giving City another boost towards the title.

City tried to make it all but official with the visitors coming close to a winner in the seventy-seventh minute. Rory Feely floated a ball to the back post for Seani Maguire, who chested it down and hit a shot from an angle, but it went straight at keeper Rian Hogan.

 

 

 

 

 

And the full time whistle came for City, as despite a late equaliser from UCD, City were officially promoted back to the Premier Division. I can’t say I'm absolutely buzzing, as nobody really wants to be here, but it’s positive to at least make it official. Now the big conversations will start, about how the recruitment needs to be perfect are we to stand a chance of staying up next year. John Fallon’s recent article in the Irish Examiner confirms we have multiple pre contract’s agreed, as well as that we are scouting across the league, mainly in Dublin. Recruitment like this form within the league will be immensely important. Along with that, everyone in the club rowing in together is vital, as history shows this club works best that way.

My Man of the Match goes to Cillian Murphy. It wasn’t the most spectacular game to be honest, but Murphy was City’s standout player. Started well on the right, but once he moved to the centre he impacted the game hugely and was instrumental in many big City attacks. 

The champions return home next Friday as they take on Cobh Ramblers at the cross, meanwhile Bray will travel south to take on Kerry FC.