St Patrick's Ath 1 Bray Wanderers 1:ST PATRICK'S Athletic lost out on the chance of moving to the top of the Premier Division table last night when they were held to a draw by a battling Bray side in a tense end-to-end encounter at Richmond Park.
Only a late goal by Mark Quigley earned John McDonnell's side a point after Paul Dunphy had surprisingly put the surprise team of the season Bray ahead just after the interval.
St Pat's had an early chance when captain Keith Fahey crossed from the right to allow unmarked striker Quigley to get in a shot from close range which was blocked by Bray defender Derek Pender on the line.
Then midfielder Gary Dempsey went close on 16 minutes when his effort was deflected for a corner by Ray Kenny after an inch-perfect cross from the right by Ryan Guy.
Bray, perhaps mindful of their 3-0 home defeat by the Inchicore men back in March, used a five-man midfield, with Ger Rowe operating as a lone striker.
The visitors put the emphasis on a well-organised defensive plan, but rarely threatened in a dull opening first half.
St Patrick's Athletic were equally unproductive, although veteran Bray goalkeeper came to his side's rescue on 41 minutes to block a Dempsey shot with his feet.
Then a Fahey cross from the right allowed Guy to set up a chance for Alan Kirby. But the winger blazed his final effort over the bar from 10 yards.
With their first shot on target, Bray grabbed a sensational lead on 53 minutes after winger Paddy Kavanagh forced a corner on the right. Alan Cawley floated over the corner which was nodded down by defender Kevin Doherty.
Midfielder Dunphy was in the right place at the right time to fire in at the far post from close range.
The home side almost equalised on 65 minutes, when a cross by Quigley from the right was missed by Gary O'Neill. Goalkeeper Gough was injured in the incident and had to be replaced by Chris O'Connor.
Bray should have increased their lead when Kavanagh crossed from the right only for Rowe to head wide with goal at his mercy.
And the visitors were to rue that miss when St Patrick's scored on 82 minutes. A long free by Fahey allowed Quigley to head home from a difficult angle.
Bray then had their backs to the wall with midfielder Mark Duggan sent off on 84 minutes for a second bookable offence.
St Patrick's threw everything forward and Bobby Ryan was unlucky when his 30-yard effort on 89 minutes struck the crossbar and rebounded to safety.
And Quigley should have had the winner in added-time, but shot straight at O'Connor.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Barry Ryan; Brennan, Haverty, Byrne, Frost (Bobby Ryan, 66 mins); Fahey, Dempsey, Guy, Kirby; O'Neill (Fitzpatrick, 75 mins), Quigley.
BRAY WANDERERS: Gough (O'Connor, 68 mins); Pender, Doherty, Kenny, Cronin; Dunphy (Georgescu, 70 mins), Crawley, Whelan, Duggan, Kavanagh; Rowe (Onwubiko, 90 mins).
Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).
