Bray's five-star show - January 6, 2001
Bray Wanderers 5 Sligo Rovers 0
Bray put the frighteners on the rest of the teams left in this year's FAI Cup with a comprehensive 5-0 win against Sligo Rovers at the Carlisle Ground.
If Bray continue to get home draws in the competition it is hard to see anybody stopping them - especially with the form of on-loan striker Paul Keegan. Keegan, who winters in Bray when his club in America are inactive, is on outstanding form and it was no surprise when he opened the scoring in the 20th minute.
Eddie Gormley floated a corner kick in to the near post and Keegan got a great connection on it to bullet it into the back of the net. Four minutes later Gormley added a second when he lobbed the ball into the top corner of the Sligo net from outside the box, giving goalkeeper Danny O'Leary no chance.
Sligo have nobody to blame but themselves for Bray's third goal two minutes later. Carl Van der Velden made a pathetic attempt to chip Bray goalkeeper John Walsh from the kick-off and Walsh returned the ball with interest up the field, catching the Sligo defence out of position. Jason Byrne ran onto the ball and blasted it first time past O'Leary.
Byrne made it 4-0 five minutes before half time when he scrambled the ball over the line from close range after sustained pressure from Bray.
The best goal was saved until last. Keegan was picked out in the box by Keogh in the 80th minute and he met the ball with a brilliant volley which flew into the Sligo net.
Bray won the competition two years ago and got to the semi-final last year. It would come as no surprise if they went the whole way again this season.
Bray Wanderers: Walsh; Britton, Lynch, Doohan, Tresson; O'Connor, Campbell, Gormley, Keogh; Keegan, Byrne
Subs: Smith for Byrne 70; Dempsey for Campbell 72; Long for Gormley 80
Goals: Keegan 20, 80; Gormley 24; Byrne 26, 40
Sligo Rovers: O'Leary, Marshall, McNamara, Sheridan, McLoughlin, Rossiter, Cretaro, Van Der Velden, Birks, Moran, Gilzean
Subs: O'Dowd for Rossiter 70
Booked: O'Leary, Birks
Referee: J O'Neill (Waterford)