Bray Wanderers - 6 Athlone Town - 3 Bray Wanderers booked their place in the draw for the third round by coming from behind twice to eventually see off the challenge of Athlone Town in last night's nine-goal thriller at the Carlisle Grounds.

The Seagulls had the perfect start on just three minutes when midfielder Stephen Fox shot home from 12 yards after a corner from Colm James on the right caused total confusion in the Athlone defence. But in this roller-coaster opening 45 minutes the visitors were level within just 60 seconds.

Clever approach work by Andy Mullen and Damien Rushe set up the opening for Stephen Gavin to drill the ball home from 22 yards. Gavin struck his second goal on 15 minutes from the edge of the box.

But Bray were level on 24 minutes when Ciaran Ryan set up veteran striker Kieran O'Brien to lob Dave Moran from 22 yards.

Athlone grabbed the lead again on 25 minutes. This time striker Michael McCann was on target from 15 yards.

On 40 minutes Bray defender Colm Tresson played a neat ball to striker Eamon Zayed, who then produced a moment of magic to loft the ball over the visitors' defence. Ryan fired home from 20 yards.

Bray's experience told in the second half when first Fox found the unmarked Zayed, who finished from 14 yards. Then Tresson ran from half-way to curl the ball over Moran from the edge of the box on 70 minutes.

Zayed got his second and Bray's sixth on 82 minutes.

BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor, Tresson, Charles, Lynch, Farrell; Long, James, Fox, Ryan; Zayed, O'Brien. Subs: Flood for Farrell (75 min), Lawless for Long (85 min), O'Hanlon for Lynch (89 min).

ATHLONE TOWN: Moran; O'Brien, Frawley, Jackson, A Kelly; Rush, Collins, S Kelly, Gavin; McCann, Mullen. Subs: Nibbs for Mullen (77 min), Shine for Collins (80 min).

Referee: Eddie Barr (Dublin).