Bray Wanderers 1 Bohemians 0:Bray Wanderers deservedly picked up their first points of the season when 20-year-old Paul Dunphy scored against the club he left in the close season with a spectacular finish on 28 minutes.
Bohemians had a chance to open their account on 14 minutes when striker Glen Crowe volleyed just wide after a corner on the left by John Paul Kelly.
Then Thomas Heary saw an effort deflected for a corner.
Perhaps slightly against the run of play, the Seagulls took the lead after a long free from goalkeeper Steve Williams was flicked on by midfielder Paul Caffrey. The ball fell perfectly for Dunphy who evaded Des Byrne and Jason McGuinness and then shot past Brian Murphy from 16 yards.
Bohemians were soon back on the offensive with Williams doing well to grab the ball on the line after a sliced clearance by Derek Tyrell with striker Darren Mansaram threatening. And it was the goalkeeper again back in action to stop long-range efforts from Crowe and Kevin Hunt in quick succession.
Bray almost stretched their lead in added time of the first half when midfielder Colm Tresson took advantage of hesitancy in the defence, only for Murphy to race from his goal and grab the loose ball.
Bohemians went close early in the second half when a cross from the right by Mark Rossiter was pushed away for a corner by the alert Williams. But Bray, well marshalled in defence by skipper Clive Delaney, held firm.
Indeed the home side then went close when a tremendous, 25-yard effort from another ex-Bohs man Mark Duggan was acrobatically pushed over the bar by Murphy.
But the Dalymount Park men were desperately unlucky not to be level on 68 minutes after Mansaram was fouled by Delaney just outside the box. The free was hammered goalwards by Owen Heary only to take a deflection off Tresson and inches wide of the target.
BRAY WANDERERS: Williams; Derek Tyrrell, Deans, Delaney, G Cronin; Tresson, Gough, Caffrey (Hurley 89), Duggan; Fox (Georgescu 80), Dunphy.
BOHEMIANS: Murphy; O Heary, Burns, McGuinness (Pooley 45), Byrne; Rossiter, Hunt, T Heary (Harkin 62), Kelly; Crowe, Mansaram.
Referee: Pat Whelan(Dublin).
