Bray Wanderers 0 Bohemians 2:BIZARRELY, GIVEN the multitude of chances they had, an own goal looked like it would win this match for Bohemians. As it happened, Killian Brennan added a late second to move the champions back up into the top half of the table.
Having leaked 13 goals in their previous three games, this was a triumph of sorts for bottom side Bray, though at times there was a fair element of good fortunate allied to their good defending.
Bohemians showed no mercy as it was one-way traffic virtually from the kick-off. Though offside anyway, Brennan headed against the bar of an open goal after Mark Quigley’s miscued shot looped to him. Goalkeeper Brian Kane and Daire Doyle, rather than an assistant’s flag, then saved Bray, all inside the opening 90 seconds.
Kane first got a hand to parry Jason Byrne’s shot when the striker was through. Byrne gathered the rebound, but Doyle blocked that before also somehow getting his body in the way of Brennan’s follow-up effort.
But Bray were left befuddled on 13 minutes when Bohemians’ pressure told. Glenn Cronin and Gareth McGlynn worked the ball in from the right and Quigley’s flick was directed past Kane by the unfortunate Doyle.
Byrne ought to have increased that lead on 26 minutes. Brennan showed clever feet to get to the end line and cross, but Byrne got right under the ball to balloon his volley shockingly off target.
Kane would make good saves from Quigley and Byrne either side of another sitter from Byrne, before Ken Oman incredibly headed a Paul Keegan corner off a post before shooting against the same upright within 30 seconds.
Bohemians maintained their dominance into the second half.
On 86 minutes Brian Shelley’s cross was only partially cleared and Brennan drilled a crisp shot to the net from just outside the box.
BRAY WANDERERS:Kane; D Doyle, O'Connor (Byrne, 68 mins), Webster, Massey; O'Neill, Shields (Kavanagh, 83 mins), Brennan, Vickers, Mulroy (R Doyle, 89 mins); Kelly.
BOHEMIANS:B Murphy; Shelley, Oman, McGuinness, Powell; McGlynn (Higgins, 74 mins), Keegan, Cronin, Brennan; Quigley (Madden, 71 mins), Byrne.
Referee:Derek Tomney (Dublin).