St Patrick's Athletic 2 ... Bray Wanderers 1 It was an eventful end to a memorable week for St Patrick's Athletic, whose challenge for the championship could have been in tatters this morning. As it is, only a point stands between them and current leaders Shelbourne, who will travel to Cork tomorrow knowing that they need to banish the demons of last season's final day.

Even before this game the week's court action, combined with the defeat suffered by Shamrock Rovers in Derry on Thursday night, seemed to set the home side up nicely to make a two-team affair of the title run-in.

For the best part of an hour they looked to be heading instead for a repeat of December's cup defeat here in Inchicore by Pat Devlin's side. Having made heavy going of securing the three points they desperately needed, though, they came impressively through in the end, winning the game thanks to second-half goals from Martin Russell and Ger McCarthy.

Early on they'd looked intent on making things hard for themselves, particularly after 15 minutes when some poor defending allowed Wes Charles to head down Keith Doyle's angled free kick into the path of Barry O'Connor. The striker hadn't found the net since September, but unmarked from a couple of yards out, there was never any doubt as the ball fell to him that he was about to end his dismal run.

It was a cruel blow for the hosts, who had the better of the half before and after the goal, but who were frustrated by their own lack of punch in front of goal.

Referee Damien Hancock's tendency to award Bray free-kicks every time their goalkeeper dropped a high ball inside his area didn't help either.

Hancock was, to be fair, right to ignore McCarthy's penalty appeal before the goal, but when Paul Keegan looked to have a decent case for one early in the second half, he appeared to attach a great deal of weight to the fact that the Wanderers striker quickly hauled himself up and attempted a shot that was blocked.

When Michael Holt went down under a challenge by Eddie Gormley only a couple of yards in front of him, though, Hancock clearly decided enough was enough. He pointed to the spot and Martin Russell did the rest.

The equaliser provided the Dubliners with a momentum they'd been lacking and suddenly their attacking moves had a good deal more bite about them.

Within six minutes they were in front, Robbie Griffin's ball over the top allowing McCarthy to lob Gregg as he rushed, just a little prematurely, off his line.

There were appeals for offside but no flag and Pat Devlin was left to switch things around in the hope of salvaging something out of the game.

Jason Byrne had already come on between the goals, but more bodies were now committed to attack and the game became an increasingly frantic sequence of attacks and counters. It produced an exciting end to the game but not the equaliser that Devlin - and Dermot Keely for that matter - could have done with.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Kelly; Croly, Foley, Maguire, Burke; Marney (Holt, 64 mins), Osam, Griffin, Russell; Mbabazi (Kelly, 80 mins), McCarthy.

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Britton, Doohan, Charles, K Doyle (Byrne, 71 mins); Tresson, Fox, Gormley (R Doyle, 76 mins), Keogh; O'Connor, Keegan (Forsyth, 76 mins).

Referee: D Hancock (Dublin).