Bray Wanderers - 2 Shamrock Rovers - 3: Tony Sheridan made a sensational return to the national league with a wonder winning goal to lift Shamrock Rovers off the bottom of the table. Having played in the English Premiership with Coventry City, Sheridan returned home to become a talismanic figure at Shelbourne. He had been playing non-league with CYM Terenure since leaving Dublin City two years ago.

Persuaded to come back by Rovers manager Roddy Collins a fortnight ago, Sheridan scored within 10 minutes of coming on in the 57th minute. Collecting Cathal O'Connor's pass in his stride, he hit a superb left-foot shot to the net.

Having lost four players - Pat McCourt (to Derry City), Jason Gavin (to Drogheda) and Stephen Gough and David Mooney (both to Longford) prior to yesterday's transfer deadline - Rovers made seven changes from the side beaten 3-0 in Cork on Friday week, including three debutants.

It showed defensively early on as Bray took a ninth-minute lead through Eamon Zayed. Rovers were showing plenty of verve at the other end and found themselves 2-1 ahead as first Will McDonagh equalised on 17 minutes and then O'Connor scored on 31 minutes.

Rovers conceded an equaliser within a minute as Romanian Andrei Georgescu scored his first goal for the club. A terrific save by Barry Murphy from David Tyrrell kept the sides level going into half-time before Rovers took control in the second half.

BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor; O'Reilly, Lynch, McGovern (Kieran O'Brien, 81), Keogh; James (Kevin O'Brien, 81), Gifford (Ryan, 71), Fox, Tyrrell; Zayed, Georgescu.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Sweetman, Shelley, McDonnell, Malone; O'Connor (Daniel, 85), McDonagh, Kenny (Tracey, 75), Rutherford; Molloy, Manley (Sheridan, 57).

Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).