Shelbourne 2 Bray Wanderers 1:AGAINST THE team he scored the bulk of them for, Jason Byrne hit the 183rd league goal of his career to go second in the all-time League of Ireland goalscoring charts.
But he then wasted a chance to extend that further – and possibly earn Bray a point – when missing a penalty as Philip Gorman scored a late winner for Shelbourne.
Dane Massey picked out Byrne on the left-hand side of the box on 30 minutes and he cut inside Ian Ryan to drill a low right-footer to the far corner of Paul Skinner’s net to equalise Philip Hughes’ opener for Shels.
Byrne should have extended his tally even further from the penalty spot on the hour mark. Brian Shortall took down winger Kieran Waters, but Skinner made a terrific save at full stretch to push Byrne’s penalty onto a post and clear.
Shortall would redeem himself with a telling part in Shels’ winner on 82 minutes. The right-back flicked the ball over a defender to cross for substitute Gorman to head past Quigley.
Shels scored first when the ball was worked swiftly into the box for skipper David Cassidy, who laid it off first time for Hughes to rifle it home from 16 yards.
SHELBOURNE: Skinner; Shortall, Ryan, Paisley, S Byrne; Kavanagh (Gorman, 63 mins), Dawson, Cronin, McGill (Murphy 81 mins); Cassidy (C Byrne, 90+2 mins); Hughes.
BRAY WANDERERS: Quigley; Webster, O’Connor, Sweeney, Massey (Kelty 86 mins); Hanlon, Zambra, Houston, Mulroy, Waters (Bolger, 80 mins); Byrne (Knight, 77 mins)
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).
