National League Premier Division/Bray Wanderers - 1 Cork City - 2: With the talents available to him out at the Carlisle Grounds this season Pat Devlin has fashioned a side that has achieved modest success by aiming to score at least as many goals as they concede.
Not for the first time against one of the league's better sides, though, they fell short in the former department last night as the league leaders stretched the gap at the top of the table with what looked, until the dying minutes, a rather pedestrian victory.
Wanderers chased the game to the bitter end, scored in the 90th minutes thanks to Eamon Zayed's readiness to pounce on an optimistic long ball, and might have stolen a point but for Michael Devine's reflex save after Hugh Davey had drilled an injury-time free toward the top-left corner.
It was a remarkable, if belated, fightback against a team that hadn't conceded a goal to anybody since the middle of last month and looked to be firmly on course for victory from the moment Roy O'Donovan put the visitors ahead late in the first half.
O'Donovan's finish underlined the promise he has shown in the brief time since he has broken into the City team.
The 19-year-old was released by Coventry City late last year and had a brief spell with Cheltenham Town before returning home. His first-team debut came less than three months ago, when these sides met at Turner's Cross.
Since then he has consistently impressed and in recent weeks has become a regular on the right side of the City midfield.
His goal against Shelbourne, his second for the club, may yet prove one of the season's pivotal moments and his third, here after 39 minutes, was important too. For, like the one at Tolka Park, it gave the visitors the upper hand in a game that had until then been largely even.
For the home support it was a blow and the attempt to defend the run and cross by George O'Callaghan that led to it must have disappointed the Wanderers bench. But it did provide the first half's one real highlight for after Davey had failed to make sufficient contact with his attempt to head clear, O'Donovan met the ball sweetly and his low shot to the right corner left Chris O'Connor no chance.
The City midfielder, like the Bray defence, had a hand in the second too. O'Donovan picked up possession on the edge of the area after Wes Charles had bungled an attempt to control Devine's long kick upfield. The teenager quickly made the most of the situation, drilling a low ball across the face of the goal to Neale Fenn, who had a large target to aim at as he turned home his first league goal of the season.
Bray have rarely failed to score this season but even with 39 minutes left getting two against an increasingly comfortable Cork side looked a seriously tall order.
With little to lose they did press forward but City's willingness to drop back in numbers combined with the home side's inability to retain possession under pressure meant they were repeatedly left to scamper back as Damien Richardson's side broke, with Joe Gamble central to most of his side's better moves.
Still, they came close to salvaging something in the dying minutes, during which Dan Murray also had to clear off the line from Stephen Fox. For City, though, the three points secured will matter a good deal more than the late bout of jitters.
BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor; Tresson, Lynch, Charles, Davey; McGuinness, O'Hanlon, Fox, Keogh; O'Brien, Zayed. Subs: James for McGuinness (15 mins), Sinnott for O'Brien (58 mins), McGrory for O'Hanlon (79 mins).
CORK CITY: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan, Gamble, O'Callaghan, Woods; Fenn, O'Flynn. Subs: O'Halloran for Gamble (73 mins), Coughlan for Fenn (89 mins).
Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).
