A cruel own goal by Alan Smyth three minutes from time provided the final twist in a seven-goal thriller at the Carlisle Grounds as Shamrock Rovers effectively had to win this match twice from a doggedly resolute Bray Wanderers.

Bray's renowned spirit showed as they came back from two goals behind with 10 men and they appeared to have done enough to earn an unlikely point. Rovers were cruising at halftime, leading 3-1. And when Bray had their skipper Anthony McKeever sent-off early in the second-half, they were staring a sixth successive defeat in the face.

But the script had several acts yet to unfold and before its end, Bray's never-say-die mentality was rediscovered as they fought back to 3-3 only to lose to Smyth's unfortunate late own goal.

Rovers took the lead in the fifth minute when Mark O'Neill latched onto a Tony Cousins pass, took the ball to the end line and pulled it back for Jason Sherlock to shoot into the roof of the net from six yards.

Bray were a mess at the back in the early stages and Tommy Gill inexplicably handled a long throw into the box by Tommy Dunne on 14 minutes. The resultant penalty was disptached by Marc Kenny. But the home side clawed their way back into the game when John Ryan drilled home a low shot from 20 yards after Rovers failed to clear a Stuart Connolly cross on 21 minutes.

It was merely a reprieve, as Rovers responded by forcing two tremendous saves from Walsh, first from Kenny's free-kick and then from Derek Tracey before increasing their lead just before the break.

Kenny capped a stunning first-half display with his second goal, a rising 30-yard shot into the roof of Walsh's net. Bray made two changes at the break and came out with renewed vigour, but their cause appeared to have been dealt a fatal blow when captain Anthony McKeever was sent-off following a 54th-minute challenge on Sherlock. But a further twist three minutes later got Bray right back into the game again when Tommy Dunne needlessly challenged Richie Parsons inside the area to give away a penalty, which Ryan duly scored. Five minutes later Bray's remarkable recovery looked complete when Smyth's flick on played Parsons through and he ran on to shoot low past O'Dowd.

However, Rovers' extra man gradually told and from a fourth corner in quick succession on 87 minutes substitute Billy Woods headed Kenny's cross back goalward where Smyth knocked it over the line with his knee for the winner.

Bray Wanderers: Walsh; Tresson, McKeever, Lynch, Gill; Ryan, Dodd, Fox, Connolly; Parsons, O'Connor. Subs: Keogh and Smyth for Gill and Fox (half-time), Byrne for Parsons (70 mins).

Shamrock Rovers: O'Dowd; Britton, Brazil, Whelan, Dunne; O'Neill, Kenny, Colwell, Tracey; Cousins, Sherlock. Subs: Woods for O'Neill (52 mins).

Referee: E Barr (Dublin).