Treaty United slim play-off hopes come to an end after Bray loss

TREATY United suffered a tough 2-0 defeat to high-flying Bray Wanderers, with their slim play-off hopes all but ended as Tommy Barrett’s men suffered their fourth loss in six games at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday evening.

Second-half goals from Richard Ferizaj and Endri Mustali ended the game as a contest heading into the final quarter, leaving the Shannonsiders marooned in ninth place, 11 points adrift of Longford Town, who occupy the final of the four playoff berths, with just four games remaining in the SSE Airtricity League First Division campaign.

The first chance of the evening fell to the Seagulls in the eighth minute as Treaty goalkeeper Jack Brady was forced to make a fine save from a Tyreik Sammy effort.

Moments later, down at the other end, former Bray attacker Cian Curtis saw his curling effort flash inches wide of the upright as both sides came close to breaking the deadlock.

Ferizaj was next to have a go, seeing his effort on the quarter-hour mark well saved by Brady, before Treaty responded with a glorious opportunity for Ronan Manning.

The Shannonsiders playmaker found himself in space with just the Bray goalkeeper to beat following some neat work from Barrett’s men but saw his placed effort glide agonisingly wide of the post.

Ten minutes before the break, the visitors almost found the net themselves. Colin Conroy won possession from Ferizaj with a high press before squaring the ball towards Curtis, but John Bilili Sesay made the intervention before almost scuffing the ball into his own net.

Instead, he put it out for a corner, much to the relief of the home support. The sides exchanged half-chances right before the interval.

Conroy drilled a shot over the bar from the edge of the box in the forty-second minute, while with the last action of the half, Ferizaj looked to get on the end of a deflected Sammy effort but couldn’t get enough purchase on it to trouble Brady.

The first real opening of the second period arrived in the form of a free kick at the edge of the Bray box for the Shannonsiders. Unfortunately for Barrett’s men, Manning’s inswinging cross evaded his teammates in the box and went harmlessly wide for a goal kick.

At the other end, teenager Billy Regan made a superb block to deny Ben McCormack on the edge of the box. However, in the sixty-seventh minute, the home side took the lead as 19-year-old American striker Endri Mustali netted his fifth league goal for the Seagulls, deftly turning home a low cross into the box from Sammy.

Soon after, the Wicklow men had a second to put the game to bed. Substitute Ethan Chase, with his first action just 90 seconds after being introduced, played Ferizaj clean through on goal, and the midfielder buried his shot emphatically into the roof of the net to score his fourth league goal.

Next up for Barrett’s men will be the visit of basement-side Finn Harps to Markets Field next Friday evening. Meanwhile, playoff-chasing Bray will make the short trip to the Belfield Bowl, where they will face promotion rivals UCD.

BRAY WANDERERS: Rian Hogan; Declan Osagie, Jamie Duggan, Dean O’Shea, Tyreik Sammy (Ryan Kelly, 69 mins); Ben McCormack (Ifun Achara, 69 mins), John Bilili Sesay (Conor Knight, 80 mins), Ajibola Oluwabiyi (Ethan Cheese, 69 mins), Jamie Ryan; Richard Ferizaj (Steven Havales, 86 mins), Endri Mustali.

TREATY UNITED: Jack Brady; Eric Yoro (Ben Cunningham, 78 mins), Killian Cantwell, Billy Regan; Mark Byrne (Ben Cunningham, 83 mins), Ronan Manning, Colin Conroy, Steven Healy (Colm Whelan, 78 mins), Kyle Foley; Cian Curtis (Ben Feeney, 83 mins), Dare Kareem.

Referee: Ryan Maher.