Hi °C | Lo °C Derry City will view this result as two points dropped rather than one gained.
Their failure to put together a series of victories has been one of the hallmarks of a disappointing campaign and after Friday’s win at home to Bohemians, they had travelled to Bray with high hopes of a second win on the spin.
But despite looking the more likely winners for most of the game, they had to endure a rather nervy last 10 minutes as Dane Massey, Sean Houston and John Mulroy all spurned chances for a late winner.
There was no place in the Derry squad for the Glenavon-bound Mark Farren which would suggest the end is indeed nigh for the Donegal striker.
David McDaid instead partnered Patrick McEleney up front, the latter eventually giving way to recent arrival Conor Murphy as Derry went hell for leather for the win in the second half.
It took them until the 58th minute to force a first real save out of Darren Quigley who just managed to palm away a Patrick McEleney effort.
That led to a succession of corners as the visitors looked increasingly likely to make the breakthrough.
But instead it was the home side who ended the stronger and given their lack of firepower, manager Declan Devine might just be wondering if allowing Farren to leave is such a great call to make after all.
Devine had demanded that his team follow the morale-boosting win over Bohemians with another good result but Bray stood up to the test.
Keeper Gerard Doherty was the outstanding performer on a night when the frontmen failed to find their shooting boots.
Bray Wanderers: Quigley, S O’Connor, D O’Connor, Massey, Webster, K O’Connor, Mulroy, Marshall, Houston, Doyle, Waters. Subs: Tresson, Seery, Kane, Georgiev, Earley, Dixon, Akindale.
Derry City: Doherty, S McEleney, McCaffrey, McBride, Madden, Higgins, McLaughlin, Molloy, Morrison, McDaid, P McEleney. Subs: Greacen, Ferry, Duffy, Curran, McNamee, Murphy, Rooney.
Referee: Tom Connolly (Cork).
