Bray Wanderers 4 Shamrock Rovers 2
Gary McCabe scored twice against his former club at the Carlisle Grounds to make it 11 goals for the season.
A fourth successive league win, and first over Rovers in 18 games, keeps Bray third in the table.
Rovers started much the better and were deservedly ahead on 10 minutes.
Brandon Miele and Graham Burke combined down the left with the latter pulling the ball back perfectly for Darren Meenan to shoot to the roof of the net.
Struggling two get into the game, Bray wasted a chance to level on the half hour. Rovers’ keeper Tomer Chencinski parried a drive from Aaron Greene with Ryan Brennan somehow shooting the rebound off a post.
But Bray did level on 41 minutes. Keith Buckley worked a one-two with Brennan on the right to cross and McCabe rose to plant a header to the net
Bray then scored twice more in first half stoppage time to turn the game on its head.
Greene sent Dylan Connolly racing through the home defence to draw Chencinski and lift the ball to the net on 46 minutes.
Two minutes later, Chencinski conceded a penalty after clashing with Brennan.
McCabe confidently sent the Rovers’ keeper the wrong way from the spot as the visitors trooped off at the interval bewildered at the turnaround.
It got no better for Rovers in the second half as they conceded again on 59 minutes.
McCabe fed Connolly who darted into the box to cross for the advancing Jason Marks whose shot was deflected to the net off Madden.
Rovers had Michael O’Connor shown a straight red card on 81 minutes following a foul on Connolly before fellow substitute James Doona got their second goal three minutes from time with a right-foot finish from the edge of the area.
BRAY WANDERERS: Cherrie; Buckley, Clancy, Foran, Marks; Sullivan, Salmon; Brennan (Moore, 79), McCabe (Noone, 85), Connolly (Aherne, 83); Greene.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Chencinski; Madden, Webster, Bone, Clarke; Lopes; Meenan (Doona, 66), Finn, Burke (O'Connor, 61), Miele; Shaw (Boyd, 75).
Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).
Limerick FC 1 Galway United 1
A stunning shot from 30 yards by David Cawley earned bottom club Galway United a draw with Limerick before 1,714, at the Markets Field.
It was certainly a game of two halves with Limerick totally on top for the first 45 minutes but Galway came much more into the game in a second half which they controlled.
Cawley’s equaliser came five minutes from time as his effort flew past Limerick goalkeeper Brendan Clarke.
It was Galway’s goalkeeper Conor Winn who kept his side in the game in the first half and he made superb saves from Chris Mulhall, a fingertip push over the bar, after earlier denying Obgene who was put clean through by Tommy Robson.
Limerick had to wait until the 32nd minute to go in front. Ogbene was fouled and from Lee J Lynch’s free Robbie Williams headed past Winn.
The visiting goalkeeper denied Hery after 80 minutes but Cawley’s cracker deserved earned a point for Galway in what was their fifth draw of what is so far a winless campaign.
LIMERICK FC: Clarke (B), Kelly, Williams, O'Conor, Lynch (Hery 72), Duggan, Whitehead, Robson, Tosi (O'Flynn 60), Mulhall (Clarke D 79), Ogbene.
GALWAY UNITED: Winn, Byrne Shanahan (64), Horgan, Murphy, Grace, Devanney (Cunningham 82), Sinnott (Faherty 74), Cawley , Folan, Holohan, Ludden.
Referee: Stephen Grant.
Finn Harps 0 Drogheda United 2
Drogheda United moved up to sixth place with a great 2-0 win over Finn Harps in an entertaining affair at Finn Park.
Drogheda had a wonderful chance to take the lead inside the first 90 seconds as Stephen Elliot whipped in a cross from the left and Adam Wixted nipped in behind the flat-footed Harps defence but could not find the target.
The visitors edged the opening quarter with Sean Thornton pulling the strings in midfield for the Louth side while Paddy McCourt was the playmaker for Harps.
Drogheda took the lead on the half hour when Eliott outfoxed Damien McNulty as he twisted and turned several times before sending in a great cross to the far post where Wixted rose above the home defence to head firmly past the diving Ciaran Gallagher.
Elliot then conjured up another chance but his shot was capable stopped by Gallagher.
And Gavin Brennan then flung himself at a Thronton free to head just outside the upright as Drogheda looked increasingly potent in attack while big question marks were being asked in the Harps defence.
Five minutes before the break, Harps’ first real chance of note was a 30 yard effort from Caolan McAleer that was just over.
Harps were a different side after the break as McCourt, Sean Houston and Caolan McAleer all went close before Michael Funston scooped the ball over the bar from six yards following a corner.
But Drogheda doubled their advantage against the run of play on 78 minutes as Gavin Brennan stabbed the ball home as he latched onto a fine pass from Colm Deasy.
FINN HARPS: Gallagher; McNulty, Cantwell, Coll, Harkin; Molloy; Funston, (Dsane, 62 mins), McCourt (McGlynn, 80 mins), Boyle; McAleer, Houston.
DROGHEDA UNITED: McGuinness; Deasy, Gallagher, McGuigan, Kane; Wixted (Elworth 90), Purdy, Thornton, Brennan; McCaffrey (McEvoy, 90), Elliot (Griffin, 74 mins).
Referee: Mr. R. Harvey (Dublin).
