The concession of an early goal from a penalty and the sending off of the influential Colm Tresson didn't stop Bray Wanderers from rescuing a fully-deserved point at Gortakeegan.

Bray, who had scored 10 goals in their previous two games, started well and were angered at not getting a penalty after eight minutes when Monaghan captain James O'Callaghan appeared to trip Paul Keegan from behind.

That let-off spurred on the home side and they took the lead on 22 minutes. Robbie Brunton's ball put Trevor Vaughan in behind the Bray defence and Tresson pulled him down.

Tresson was sent-off and Vaughan's well-placed penalty beat the dive of John Walsh on its way into his bottom right-hand corner.

Bray continued to play, however, and they hit back to level second before the interval. A poor defensive clearance from Mick Scully was clinically punished as Jason Byrne set up Paul Keegan to drill the ball past Robbie Forde.

Bray, playing on the counter, had the better chances after the break; the pick of them a free-kick from O'Connor which Forde, who saw it late, did well to palm away.

Monaghan also had opportunities, but in the final minutes Bray's Jason Byrne thumped the ground in frustration at not winning it for Bray after Forde pushed his fierce shot round a post.

MONAGHAN UNITED: Forde; White, Scully (T Byrne 67), Brunton, O'Callaghan; Lundy Burke 80), Murphy, Shiels, Mooney; McKenna, Vaughan.

BRAY WANDERERS: Walsh (Young 51); Long (Doohan 56), Charles, Tresson, Farrell; Keegan, Fox, Morgan, Gormley (Keogh 63); O'Connor, Byrne.

Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).