Bray Wanderers 0 UCD 1: When you're desperate for a win you take it any which way, and UCD won't complain as Pat McWalter scored the scrappiest goal of his career to end a seven-match run without a league win.

It was a timely lift for College ahead of Tuesday's League Cup final with Derry City, as it lifts them over Bray into seventh place in the table.

The goal came on 53 minutes when McWalter got to the end line behind Michael Roche. Stephen Gifford came across to make a challenge, but McWalter's cross somehow spun across into the net from the tightest of angles for the ugliest goal you could imagine.

It might have been 2-0 on 66 minutes. Conan Byrne and Gary Dicker combined to set up McWalter, but Chris O'Connor saved with his feet.

Stephen Fox was Bray's chief threat and he forced the save of the night from Darren Quigley when his volley was acrobatically tipped over the bar.

Alan Mahon would subsequently clear off the UCD line after Paul Murphy out-jumped Quigley from Philip Keogh's cross. Murphy then should have equalised in stoppage time only to send his volley wide.

UCD were much the better side in the first half with Stephen Hurley enhancing his growing reputation as one of the most promising young midfielders in the country with two pieces of skill that resulted in efforts coming back off the woodwork inside the opening eight minutes.

The 19-year-old from Arklow, who somehow slipped through Bray's grasp, put Anthony Murphy in on goal with O'Connor getting the faintest of touches to deflect his shot on to a post.

Hurley then rattled O'Connor's crossbar with a crisp, 30-yard volley.

BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor; Gifford, Roche, McGovern, Keogh; Tresson, Kevin O'Brien, Fox, Tyrrell (Kieran O'Brien, 72 mins); Georgescu (Long, 59 mins), Murphy.

UCD: Quigley; Mahon, McDonnell, Shortall, O'Donnell; Gannon, Hurley, Dicker, McWalter; Murphy, C. Byrne (Dupuy, 90 mins).

Referee: J Feighery (Dublin).