Good afternoon all. Bray Wanderers have made the trip out west to face the side currently leading the Premier Division title race, Sligo Rovers. We’re less than a half hour away from kick-off and the team line-ups are in:

Sligo Rovers: Gary Rogers, Alan Keane, Iarfhlaith Davoren, Gavin Peers, Danny Ventre (c), Romauld Boco, Rafa Cretaro, Ross Gaynor, Joseph Ndo, David Cawley, Danny North. Subs: Ciaran Kelly, Jeff Henderson, Seamus Conneely, Lee Lynch, John Dillon, Mark Quigley, Pascal Millien.

Bray Wanderers: Darren Quigley, Dane Massey, Danny O’Connor (c), Kevin O’Connor, Jason Byrne, Kieran Marty Waters, Dean Zambra, John Mulroy, Adam Hanlon, Shane O’Connor. Subs: Daire Doyle, Kevin Knight, Graham Kelly, Pat Seery, Brendan King, Brian Kane, Conor Butler.

So Ian Baraclough doesn’t start any of his three new signing but Seamus Conneely and Jeff Henderson make the bench with Ryan Connelly missing out. Here’s a piece I did earlier in the week on their latest arrivals. Bray bring Kevin O’Connor (brother of captain Danny) straight in to the startin XI after the 26-year-0ld’s move from Worcester City was announced yesterday.

Credit: NPHO/James Crombie

Looks like there’s a few quid riding on Bit O’Red striker Danny North. He scored two against Dundalk at Oriel Park last weekend and you’d fancy him against a defence who conceded three at home to Cork City last time out.

Bray this week lost the services of 17-year-old Pierce Sweeney, who was snapped up by Reading.  On his departure, Pat Devlin has just told RTE Sport: “It’s a massive loss but you have to give young players a chance and the money will go back into the club. I hope to see Pierce in Rio (at the World Cup) in a couple of years.”

High hopes for the young centre half then.

Referee Graham Kelly looks about ready to flip his coin so we’re about to get going here.

The home side tip off and a long ball up field gives Bray goalkeeper Darren Quigley an early touch.

Couple of minutes later, the visitors earn the opening corner of the game – where Adam Hanlon’s delivery is headed clear by Danny Ventre.

Bray have started extremely positively and have just had a decent shout for a penalty waved away. Kieran Marty Waters bursts into the opposing box and when Joseph Ndo sticks out a leg, the winger goes down.

Good spell of possession from Sligo has resulted in a corner. Ndo and Ross Gaynor get their wires crossed after playing it short, however, and the ball goes out for a goal-kick.

Daire Doyle is on in place of Adam Hanlon.

The opening 15 has been played at a fairly fast pace but we’ve yet to see any meaningful chances on goal. Another Bray corner breaks to Rafa Cretaro and he attempts to slot his strike partner North in but the flag shoots up for offside.

Ross Gaynor receives a pass some 35 yards out from goal and, with no Bray player in sight, advances forward before having a crack. His strike is on target but doesn’t trouble Quigley, who collects confidently.

Moments later, the ball is nestling in the back of the Bray net. Boco slides through North and his finish is a tidy one. Before celebrations can commence, the linesman again has his flag up for offside. Didn’t look to be much in it, though.

Sligo have taken hold of this game in the last few minutes are controlling things in central midfield. Seagulls skipper Danny O’Connor is the first man into Graham Kelly’s book for a rash challenge on North.

Both sides have just had terrific opportunities to take the lead. Waters puts Jason Byrne through on goal with a smashing pass and from a position you’d put your house on the veteran striker scoring, he shoots poorly at Rogers.

Down the other end, Cretaro checks inside then unleashes a curling effort, which clips the upright and comes back into play.

With David Cawley bearing down on goal, new signing Kevin O’Connor brings him down right on the edge box and gets himself booked. Gaynor tries his luck with the free-kick and his left-footed effort takes a slight deflection of the wall but Quigley manages to get his body behind it to save with his shoulder.

When the resulting corner comes in, Peers heads on target but it’s cleared off the line.

Iarfhlaith Davoren is the latest player to be shown a yellow card after he takes down Hanlon. Dane Massey then has a speculative strike on goal but watches it sail well over.

Half time: Sligo Rovers 0-0 Bray Wanderers

Sligo the better side in the opening 45 minutes but Baraclough won’t be happy with some of their sloppiness. Bray, meanwhile, have weathered the storm so far and are still very much in this. Also should’ve scored when Byrne was put through.

Bray’s very own version of the Nevilles…

The mini pitch invasion by local kids has just about been cleared and the teams are back out so the second half is about to start.

GOAL! Sligo Rovers 0-1 Bray Wanderers (Jason Byrne)

Unbelievable Jeff. A long ball down field completely catches the Sligo backline out and Davoren swipes at fresh air as he tries desperately to clear. It drops to Byrne, who has been quiet today, and the man with the second best goalscoring record in LOI history drills the ball into the bottom corner.

Double substitution on the way for Sligo – Mark Quigley and Pascal Millien are about to be introduced.

And it’s Cretaro and Gaynor who are withdrawn. Still 30 minutes for the Bit O’Red to pull themselves back into this one.

Quigley’s only on the pitch two minutes and already he has injected some much-needed urgency into Sligo’s play.

GOAL! Sligo Rovers 1-1 Bray Wanderers (Alan Keane)

Sligo get the equaliser they were looking for and it’s well-deserved after a fine move. Boco plays Quigley inside and the substitute finds Alan Keane on the overlap. The full-back is too quick for his marker and dribbles a couple of yards then fires past Quigley.

Sligo well on top at the moment but Bray still finding the odd opening. John Mulroy shoots a couple of yards wide from 20 yards out.

Kieran Marty Waters has been a thorn in Sligo’s side at times today but he won’t see out the final 13 minutes as Ciaran Knight comes on in his place.

Ndo tried something special when he intercepts a pass but the delicate chip is marginally too high. The former Cameroon international is given a hero’s applause as Baraclough brings him off for Seamus Conneely.

Another new boy, Bray’s Brendan King has also been introduced for goalscorer Byrne.

What a chance for Sligo to get the winner in time added on. A ball from the left makes it’s way to Millien and the Haitian attacker skips by a challenge and pokes it to the far post, where North can’t make contact with an open goal in front of him.

RED CARD – Bray’s Adam Mitchell gets a second yellow and his marching orders for a pull on Quigley. The free-kick is booted away and time is just about up here.

What could be the last corner of the game sees Mulroy take a boot to the face and he’s now receiving treatment. Looks like Bray are going to earn a super point on the road.

Full time: Sligo Rovers 1-1 Bray Wanderers

RTE’S man of the match Kevin O’Connor after the game: “It’s a great start for me. I’ve been training with the for the past six weeks so have got to know them. We’ve done well today, it was a sloppy goal to give away but Sligo are top of the league and a great side.”