Drogheda United confirmed their Premier Division status for another season with this comfortable victory over a Bray side who really never got going on the night.

Despite their dominance it took the home side an hour to make their superiority tell on the scoreboard when James Chambers broke the deadlock with a superbly executed free kick.  United made the game safe in the closing stages when Brian King was in the right place at the right time to score and send the large United Park crowd wild with delight.

The game almost produced the most dramatic of starts from the kick off as Robbie Martin raced clear but keeper Chris O’Connor was smartly out to smother the ball at the strikers feet.

Minutes later Martin was involved once more when he cushioned the ball to Ross Gaynor who saw his attempted lob gathered by O’Connor.

The home side continued to push and O’Connor was called into action again when he got down well to save a fine strike from James Chambers.

With sixteen minutes gone the overworked Wanderers net minder got a fingertip on Martin’s angled drive from the edge of the box preventing an opening goal for the home side.

But it was Bray against the run of play who should have hit the front when Ian Tuohy found himself in the clear with only Paul Skinner to beat, however, between his own hesitation and the keeper pushing him wide the chance went a begging.

On the half hour United set the alarm bells ringing in the visitors defence as Gaynor drove into the box on the right before shooting.  O’Connor managed to push the ball away but into a dangerous area in front of goal where there was no Drogheda player on hand to execute the finish.

The opening exchanges of the second half left an awful lot to be desired as Bray fell deep and Drogheda were unable to capitalise on their new-found freedom of the park.  That all changed on the hour when Eric McGill was taken down on the edge of the box by John Mulroy who was subsequently booked.  From the resulting free dead ball specialist James Chambers whipped the ball round the wall to the bottom corner of the net to give United a deserved lead.

Drogheda sealed the win and their place in the top flight for next season eight minutes from time when Guy Bates ghosted past a couple of challenges out on the right before sliding the ball through to Gaynor who saw his shot come back off the post to Brian King who was on hand to rattle the ball home.

Bray’s miserable night was complete in the 83rd minute when John Mulroy was sent off for a second bookable offence.
The home side were now rampant and should have added to their tally before the finish on a number of occasions with the best opportunity falling to Bates who was denied by the heroics of O’Connor who had kept his side in the contest for so long.

Drogheda: Skinner, Chambers, Clarke, Kenna, McNally, Crowley, McGill B, McGill E (Shiels 88), Martin (Bates 60), Gaynor, King. 

Bray: O’Connor, Pender, Cronin, Deans, Mulcahy, Shields (Brennan 42), Doyle, Mulroy, Flood (Kelly 70), Tuohy (McCabe 73).

Referee: D. Hancock (Dublin)