Treaty United suffer last gasp First Division promotion final heartbreak at hands of Bray Wanderers

TREATY United’s promotion dreams were shattered deep into stoppage time as Justin Ferizaj struck a stunning 91st-minute winner to hand Bray Wanderers a precious 1–0 victory in the SSE Airtricity First Division playoff final at Athlone Town Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

In a fiercely contested play-off clash that ebbed and flowed throughout, Treaty United hit the woodwork twice but were ultimately undone by a moment of brilliance from the former Shamrock Rovers starlet, who sealed Bray’s place in next Friday's promotion/relegation playoff against Waterford United.

It marks the second consecutive year the Seagulls have reached this stage, having fallen short against Drogheda United last season.

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Bray started brightly and could have gone ahead within the opening minute when Sean Brennan glanced a header narrowly wide from Max Murphy’s inviting free kick.

It took until the quarter-hour mark for Tommy Barrett’s side to register their first effort on target. Mark Byrne rose highest to meet a Lee Devitt cross after the midfielder had kept the ball alive at the far post, but his header was comfortably gathered by Bray goalkeeper Jimmy Corcoran.

Four minutes later, Bray threatened again through Conor Knight, one of two brothers of Ireland international Jason Knight in the Wanderers’ squad, whose dangerous delivery across the six-yard box was flicked narrowly over the bar by Eoin Martin under pressure.

Moments later, Treaty goalkeeper Corey Chambers was called into action twice in quick succession. Ferizaj’s low strike was parried away with his shins before the number one recovered to smother Max Murphy’s follow-up effort, keeping the game goalless.

In the 37th minute, Karl O’Sullivan tried his luck from a distance, his shot deflecting wide for a corner. From Lee Lynch’s ensuing inswinger, Byrne’s powerful header rattled the crossbar, the closest either side had come to breaking the deadlock.

Just seconds later, O’Sullivan again found space in behind the defence after a clever through ball from Lee Lynch, but former Limerick FC captain Killian Cantwell produced a crucial last-ditch block. From the resulting corner, Corcoran was forced into a scrambling save to punch clear under pressure.

As the first half drew to a close, Devitt came close again, cutting inside from the left before forcing Corcoran into a fingertip save to tip his curling effort over the bar.

Bray emerged the sharper side after the restart. Seven minutes into the second half, Cian Curtis stung Chambers’ palms with a powerful strike from a tight angle before blazing another snapshot over the crossbar five minutes later following a slick passing move.

Treaty almost took the lead on the hour mark in spectacular fashion. Richkov Boevi cushioned a header into the path of Devitt, whose first-time volley thundered off the underside of the crossbar before bouncing clear.

At the other end, Bray continued to threaten. In the 77th minute, Ferizaj picked out Rhys Knight with a delicate chip, and the midfielder’s looping header forced Chambers to backpedal and acrobatically flick the ball over the bar.

As full-time approached, extra time loomed, but heartbreak was still to come. In the first of three minutes of added time, Murphy’s free kick wasn’t dealt with by the Treaty defence.

Cantwell kept the danger alive, lofting a cross back into the box where Ferizaj controlled superbly before producing a stunning bicycle kick that soared into the top corner, leaving Chambers helpless and securing Bray’s victory in the most spectacular fashion.

Bray Wanderers: Jimmy Corcoran, Killian Cantwell, Alain Kizenga, Max Murphy, Cian Curtis, Harvey Warren, Rhys Bartley (Rhys Knight 68), Sean Brennan (Paul Murphy 90), Justin Ferizaj, Conor Knight (Guillermo Almirall 68), Cian Doyle.

Treaty United: Corey Chambers, Richkov Boevi, Robbie Lynch, Eoin Martin, Evan O’Connor, Lee Lynch, Karl O’Sullivan, Lee Devitt (Roy Lawlor 88), Colin Conroy, Mark Byrne (Ben Lee 88), Patrick Ferry (Joe Hanson 60).

Referee: Declan Toland