Bray Wanders 0 - 1 Derry City

The match on Friday night in the Carlisle Grounds was the first I've been able to make in ages. The last one, was the 1-0 defeat to Bohs in Dalymount on the 19th of July - so about 6 weeks later I make the next game.

As always, the lubrication of the vocal chords started early, with Ciaran and myself meeting up for a pint in the Sub Lounge bar, before getting the Dart out to Bray. The one surprising think about the bar, was that all draught beer was €3.40 - and that offer went on all night, as I ended up in there for a few pints after the game.

Well, after a cheap pint, it was 45 minutes on the Dart out to Bray to meet up with Scoops in the Hibernian just before 6. Gary "Big Daddy" White said he'd be in for 6pm, to which I said Paddy Power would offer 8/1 odds on that happening, and due to unforeseen problems in work, Gary had to miss out on the match. Damn, I wish I had of offered them odds. Although to compound matters for Big D, when he did let us know he couldn't make it, I also let slip that we had just ordered food in the pub.

Well, after a few pints and a feed we headed over to the game, as always, match reports are not my speciality, so we won't go to much into it. About 50-75 fans made it down to the match (of course these figures are a total gestimate by yours truly, and may be too high or low), and it's the first match I've been to in years where there's been no drums.

The match itself, well, wasn't a show case match, but Derry did hit the crossbar 3 times, at one stage had 6 corners in a row, and left it to the 90th minute to get the winner. I actually can't recall if I've ever seen Derry win out in Bray, it's a ground we've always struggled to get a result.

As always, the banter at the match was good craic, with some funny one=liners and chants through-out the match including:

• "Stephen Kenny's Volunteer Army" - in reference to the lads playing only getting 25% of the wages due to financial woes at the club - well, fair play to the lads playing and getting the win, in what can only be a difficult time for all involved
• The Ciara Martyn (Flinstone) Song - as song by Scoops and Brendy - didn't catch all the words of it, and it was very well worked
• Me coming out with another idiotic shout at one of the players - Bray's number 2, me advising him that "2 is your shirt number not your IQ" to which Kev Mullen pointed out, that that statement made no sense - it all seriousness it had sounded perfect to me before I opened my mouth
• The shock-horror of Martyn being caught offside, summed up nicely by, I think, Brendy, who stated "Ciaran Martyn, nooooo way!"
• The shock-horror of the ref, Hancock, I believe having a good game, totally caught the fans off guard on that one

Just taking a look at the fixtures, the only Derry game left in Dublin is away to St Pat's at the end of October, of course, we also play away to Drogs in 2 weeks time and away to Dundalk at the end of the season. Not to sure about the Setanta Sports Cup fixtures, but I have learned that they may push out the Cork game, which really pissed me off, as I had a possibility of swinging an expenses paid weekend down in Cork for training on the Saturday with work, to be told the game may be moved - denied.

Well, the 1-0 win, takes Derry to third in the league, ahead of Cork on goal difference. With 11 games to go, it's a push to guarantee a European place for next season.