Bray Wanderers - 0, Shelbourne - 0: Shelbourne missed a glorious opportunity to open a four-point gap at the top of the premier division at the Carlisle Grounds yesterday.
Ahelbourne the disappointment of Tuesday's 4-0 hammering by Bohemians in the FAI Cup quarter-final at the same venue, Bray Wanderers looked much stronger in defence. They will regard this as a point gained in their bid to fight clear of the relegation zone.
Apart from the two points conceded, Shelbourne also suffered double setbacks when winger Richie Baker was substituted after 19 minutes with a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him out of the game for at least two weeks. Then, worse was to follow when central defender Kevin Doherty was stretchered off just before the interval following an accidental midfield clash with the combative Stephen Fox.
It was later learned that Doherty had suffered a broken rib and will now miss the rest of the season and the climax to the title race.
Bray had looked the stronger side in the early stages when first Paul Keegan had an angled shot just wide of the target and then Barry O'Connor fired just over after Jason Byrne had created the opening.
Shelbourne defender Peter Hutton might have made better use of an opening created by Geoghegan. But that was all a familiar pattern for an afternoon of frustration by both sets of attackers.
With the introduction of substitutes John Burns and Barry Prenderville, Shelbourne looked no less threatening in the second half. But Bray might have stolen the game later on.
Wesley Charles produced a magnificent 70 yard burst from well inside his own half of the field. A late interchange of passes with Jason Byrne allowed the big defender to slip past two defenders only to see his final effort saved by Shelbourne keeper Steve Williams.
BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Britton, Lynch, Doohan, Doyle; O'Connor, Fox, Gormley, Keogh; Byrne, Keegan. Subs: Charles for Lynch (45 mins), Forsyth for Gormley (80 mins).
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Hutton, Doherty, Carthy, Heary; Baker, Fenlon, Crawford, Gannon, Houlihan; Geoghegan. Subs: Burns for Baker (19 mins), Prenderville for Doherty (45 mins).
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).
