They did so in the most dramatic and satisfying of fashions – a 90th minute winner. As extra time and penalties loomed, Justin Ferizaj was the coolest man in Athlone as he controlled Cian Doyle’s flick-on before hooking home to spark scenes of wild celebrations.
The players and management rejoiced after the final whistle but will now turn their attention to Waterford FC who stand between them and the top flight.
Having been handed a starting berth; the first chance of the match fell to Sean Brennan. Alain Kizenga was fouled on the right flank. Max Murphy opted for something of a sneaky delivery on the blindside and Brennan was the man that made the run to get his head to it. It bobbled inches wide of the far post.
A loose pass in the middle from Rhys Bartley put his side in hot water. Treaty immediately broke and Patrick Ferry slid it in for Lee Lynch who tried to put it on a plate for Mark Byrne at the back post. A desperate tackle extinguished that one and another vital block moments later meant a corner was all that Bray conceded.
On 17 minutes, Bray were pinned in their own box. After multiple clearances, Karl O’Sullivan sat up a cross for Byrne but he headed it straight into the hands of Jimmy Corcoran.
Bray Wanderers’ Justin Ferizaj celebrates with teammate Cian Curtis, centre, and Guillermo Almirall, right, after scoring the winner in the First Division play-off final. Photo: Ben McShane/Sportsfile
Cian Curtis looked isolated at times up the other end but he carried the ball very well in the 22nd minute – dribbling across the edge of the box – before laying it to Conor Knight. He swung in a cross that the in-rushing Justin Ferizaj met eight yards out but it was deflected behind.
From that corner, Treaty cleared it to halfway. Max Murphy pumped it back towards the Treaty area where Harvey Warren glanced it behind for Kilian Cantwell. He coolly touched it back to Ferizaj who took aim but was denied by the feet of Corey Chambers.
Treaty had some wonderful opportunities to get their noses in front in the last few minutes of the first half.
A Lee Devitt corner kick presented the first one. He put it into the six-yard box and Byrne managed to peel free to meet it. His downward header bounced back off the upright.
A poor touch from Harvey Warren in the centre circle then set Treaty on the counter and they outnumbered the Bray defence. Lee Lynch guided it into Ferry’s path. He calmly dummied one defender but then found his effort brilliantly blocked by Cantwell.
From that corner, Devitt put it right on top of Corcoran who could only flap at it and the ball appeared to be looping in but for Warren to head off the line.
Corcoran faced one more test before the interval as Devitt pinged one from 25 yards. With the ball swerving, Corcoran opted to tip it over the crossbar rather than try to catch.
Curtis’ thankless task continued early in the second period but he almost made it a brilliant start. He managed to get to Cian Doyle’s raking pass first and hold off his man. He got into the box and held it up again before eventually firing off a shot. Chambers took the sting out of it initially before gathering at the second attempt.
The striker had another effort on 58 minutes. Following a brilliant move involving multiple Bray players, Brennan attacked the ball on the D before nudging it to Curtis but he blasted over from an unkind angle.
Treaty then went within inches of bagging a goal of the season contender. Lynch’s free kick from near halfway was headed up into the sky by Richkov Boevi. Devitt – stood 22 yards out – watched it and caught it on the volley. It dipped menacingly and Corcoran looked very worried as it clipped the top of the crossbar.
Guillermo Almirall and Rhys Knight were the first reinforcements sent on from the bench by Paul Heffernan and the latter almost netted. Justin Ferizaj whipped in a deep cross from the left. Chambers came initially but then stopped which meant that Knight’s looping header floated over his head but the shot-stopper back-tracked just in time to claw over the bar.
Everything about this tie looked like extra time was beckoning. It seemed inevitable. But it was not.
The free kick was cleared. Cantwell delivered the cross. Cian Doyle nodded it on and Ferizaj – with his back to goal – tamed it and hooked it home to seal a place in the promotion-relegation play-off final.
Bray Wanderers: Jimmy Corcoran; Alain Kizenga, Kilian Cantwell, Harvey Warren, Max Murphy; Rhys Bartley, Cian Doyle; Conor Knight, Sean Brennan, Justin Ferizaj; Cian Curtis. Sub: Guillermo Almirall for C. Knight (68); Rhys Knight for Bartley (68); Paul Murphy for Brennan (90+3).
Treaty United: Corey Chambers; Evan O’Connor, Eoin Martin, Richkov Boevi, Ben Lynch; Lee Devitt, Colin Conroy; Karl O’Sullivan, Lee Lynch, Mark Byrne; Patrick Ferry. Subs: Joseph Hanson for Ferry (61); Roy Lawlor for Lynch (89); Benjamin Lee for Byrne (89).
Referee: Declan Toland.
