Dublin City ... 0 Bray Wanderers ... 2 The potential banana-skin clash that this was for Bray Wanderers was avoided as they deservedly booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Carlsberg FAI Cup at Whitehall last night.

This was always going to be a tricky assignment for the Premier Division outfit against a Dublin City side sitting at the top of the First Division table and with just one defeat in their last 10 outings. But Pat Devlin's side avoided the possibility of a shock exit from the competition thanks to two goals from Jason Byrne - a 28th minute headed effort and then a second four minutes from time.

The opener owed much to City goalkeeper Paul Flood, who came charging off his line in an attempt to gather Maurice Farrell's free kick, but he failed, leaving Byrne to gratefully head home to an empty net.

The visitors, and in particular their manager Pat Devlin, would have rested much easier had they grabbed a second but it only came in the 86th minute as Byrne fired home from close range after Paul Keegan's initial effort had been blocked.

The nearest they had come to extending their lead was actually six minutes after Byrne's opener when Colm Tresson's header came crashing off the crossbar.

In the second half they could really have wrapped up the tie just six minutes after the break when Byrne broke clear but fired wide of an unguarded net. The nearest the home side got to forcing themselves back into the game was a Brendan Kelly free kick in the 62nd minute which was just wide of the target.

It took some time for the game to get going in what was a tight opening period with the first of the chances coming after seven minutes when Byrne volleyed wide of the target. And despite enjoying the greater part of the play the visitors had to thank their goalkeeper, Matt Gregg, for keeping them in the game when he pulled off a fine save to deny Robbie Farrell in the 19th minute. Yet City themselves went close to levelling matters in the 37th minute but Farrell's looping header was just off target.

DUBLIN CITY: Flood, Gifford, McLoughlin, O'Driscoll, Jackson, Crowley, Notaro, Farrell, Sheridan, O'Connor, Kelly. Subs: Doyle for Crowley (57), Skelly for O'Connor (75), Markey for McLoughlin (75).

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg, Tresson, Farrell, Lynch, Doohan, Gormley, Williamson, Keogh, Fox, Byrne, Keegan. Subs: O'Connor for Williamson (71), Forsythe for Farrell (90), O'Brien for Byrne (90).

Referee: J O'Neill (Waterford).