Derry City lose first game since Ryan McBride's death as Bray snatch 3-2 win

Kenny Shiels' Derry side were playing in their first game since the death of club captain Ryan McBride

Derry City lost their first game since the death of their captain Ryan McBride as Tim Clancy's injury-time goal gave Bray Wanderers a 3-2 win in Buncrana.

On an emotional night, Rory Patterson twice went close for Derry before Gary McCabe curled Bray ahead on 28.

Derry had several chances to level before Aaron Greene doubled Bray's lead a minute before the interval.

An Aaron McEneff penalty [65] and a Dean Jarvis goal [84] got Derry on terms before Clancy's late winner.

With Premier Division leaders Cork City stretching their run of opening wins to seven by clinching a 3-0 victory over Limerick, Derry are now nine points off the pace - although the Candystripes have two games in hand.

After clinching a fourth straight league win by beating Drogheda United on 18 March, City were plunged into mourning a day later by McBride's sudden death.

Their scheduled games against Limerick and Galway United were postponed during the week of McBride's funeral, before they made their return to action on Friday night at their temporary home in Buncrana.

The tributes to the late Ryan McBride includes a minute's applause

Touching tributes paid to McBride

The evening included several touching tributes to McBride.

During their pre-match warm-up, Derry's players wore white tee-shirts bearing their late captain's surname and his regular squad number [five], while the club's youth players formed the number five on the pitch as the teams came out at Maginn Park.

With members of the McBride family in attendance, a minute's applause took place before the kick-off.

Patterson, back in the side for the first time since the opening-night victory over Bohemians, struck an immediate chance into the side-netting and after firing another opportunity just wide, then saw his seemingly goal-bound header brilliantly tipped on to the woodwork by Bray keeper Peter Cherrie.

Against the run of play, Bray took the lead on 28 as McCabe curled a free-kick over the Derry defensive wall, with keeper Gerard Doherty's positioning looking questionable.

After Lukas Schubert had an immediate Derry chance beaten away by Cherrie, Patterson then departed as the calf injury that has bothered him this season appeared to recur.

As Derry continued to create chances, Ronan Curtis headed over a great opportunity in the 37th minute and the miss was punished a minute before the break as Greene doubled Bray's lead.

Dean Jarvis' goal looked set to have earned Derry a point at Maginn Park

Derry fight back before late sucker punch

The Candystripes had to make a second enforced change at half-time as keeper and new captain Doherty was forced off to be replaced by Eric Grimes.

Grimes kept Derry in the game with an immediate save before Nathan Boyle wasted another glorious chance to reply as he fired straight at Cherrie.

Derry were given an avenue back into the contest as referee Derek Tomney awarded a controversial penalty on 65 minutes which McEneff gratefully lashed past the Bray keeper.

Sensing their opportunity, Derry produced intense pressure which resulted in Jarvis' lofted finish over Cherrie with six minutes remaining after a great ball from Nicky Low.

However, after Jarvis was forced to concede a Bray corner in the final minute of injury-time, Clancy headed in Bray's winner as Grimes stayed rooted to his line.