Glen Crowe's almost magical streak of goal-scoring form propelled Bohemians back into the top two as he scored a goal-poacher's hat-trick to beat Bray at Dalymount Park.

The trio of strikes brought the 23-year-old Dubliner's tally for the season to 12, a staggering eight of which have come in the last five games.

Fifteen minutes late kicking off due to difficulties marking the pitch, the match was none the worse for the wet conditions and we might have had a goal at either end inside the opening nine minutes.

Bray, whose injuries appeared to have rapidly cleared up with Colm Tresson, Eddie Gormley and Barry O'Connor starting - though Tresson did have to retire at halftime - were unlucky not to draw first blood after six minutes.

Phil Keogh headed on a quick throw from Stephen Gifford which Jason Byrne controlled to turn and volley just wide.

The wet conditions told at times with Bray failing to avail of a slip by Dave Hill which let Kieran O'Brien in on 26 minutes, but the striker drilled his shot wide of Wayne Russell's right-hand post.

Bohemians were adapting better at the other end and van Boxtel made a stunning one-handed save to push a Dave Morrison drive out for a corner before the Glen Crowe show began with his first goal on 29 minutes.

Van Boxtel initially did superbly well to parry a shot from Trevor Molloy, but Crowe, who had scarcely touched the ball up to then, was there to pick the goal.

Crowe's second goal arrived within two minutes of the restart when Stephen Gifford failed to cut out a Kevin Hunt cross and he headed powerfully past van Boxtel.

The hat-trick should have been there six minutes later, but Crowe blazed over from a Dave Morrison cross.

Not fazed in the least, he kept his cool to race clear on to Molloy's through ball within a further three minutes to plant the ball in the bottom corner.

Substitute Matt Britton snatched a goal back for Bray four minutes from time, but it was mere consolation on a night that belonged to Bohemians' Glen Crowe who missed the chance of a fourth when shooting inches wide of an open goal in the final minute.

BOHEMIANS: Russell; O'Connor, Bowman (O'Neill 35), Hill, Webb; Morrison, Caffrey, Hunt, Hopper; Crowe, Molloy.

BRAY WANDERERS: van Boxtel; Gifford, Tresson (Britton half-time), Doohan, Farrell (Dempsey 70); O'Connor, Gormley, Long, Keogh; K O'Brien (J Ryan 70), J Byrne.

Referee: R O'Hanlon (Waterford).