AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION: Drogheda United 3 Bray Wanderers 1IT WASN'T their best performance of the season by a long shot but Drogheda eventually ran out comfortable winners against a Bray side who looked the more likely victors at times.

The match ambled along aimlessly for 20 minutes until Drogheda scored when Gavin Brennan’s cross from the left ended up with brother Sean on the opposite flank who whipped the ball back in for Declan O’Brien to head home.

The goal rather than inspiring United had the opposite effect prompting Wanderers into action as they immediately went in search of an equaliser.

Danny O’Connor’s volley was saved superbly by Gabriel Sava and Adam Hanlon’s shot from the edge of the box shaved the bar.

The visitors’ equaliser duly arrived after 31 minutes when Hanlon’s cross was met by Sean Houston who guided his headed effort to the net.

Indeed before the break Bray might have scored twice more but for the brilliance of goalkeeper Sava who somehow first denied Houston and then used a trailing boot to stop Kieran Marty Waters’ effort.

Waters rattled the Drogheda bar early on in the second half and Hanlon waltzed through the heart of the home side’s defence before Philip Hand made a saving tackle.

At the other end Ryan Brennan’s shot was tipped to safety by Darren Quigley. But there was nothing the goalkeeper could do to prevent United retaking the lead on 64 minutes when Paul Crowley met Brian Gannon’s cross to score with a bullet-like header.

Eight minutes later Drogheda struck for a third time when Philip Hand’s corner caused mayhem in the Bray box from which Peter Hynes profited when he swivelled to plant his shot low into the bottom corner of the net.

DROGHEDA: Sava, Gannon, Hand, Prendergast, McNally, S Brennan (Brady 85), G Brennan, Hynes, Crowley, R Brennan, O'Brien (Mulvenna 59).

BRAY: Quigley, Massey, Mitchell, D O'Connor, Byrne (Kelly 87), Watters, Zambra (Doyle 79), Mulroy, Houston, Hanlon (Hurley 79), S O'Connor.

Referee: P Sutton(Clare).