It's hard to pin-point just what it is that gives some clubs a knack for doing well in the cup. Bray, though, clearly have the precious commodity in sufficient volume to bottle and flog. If they ever get around to it, they'll probably find Pat Dolan has stayed up all night to head the queue.

It's forty years now since St Patrick's Athletic have won this competition and, though they probably saw as much of the ball during the latter half of last night's second-round tie at Richmond Park as they had in either of their wins over Wanderers this season, they ended up being beaten by a side that triumphed thanks to their ability to play their first match in this year's competition as if it was their last.

Overall, the closeness of the game ensured that it was increasingly exciting as it went on. Philip Keogh's winning goal aside, though, the first half didn't provide much by the way of entertainment, with both sides failing for the most part in their attempts to play controlled football for any sustained periods.

What little we saw prior to the goal came mainly from Bray whose approach work around their opponents' area consistently looked the more likely source of a goal.

Even when it came, though, there was little enough to admire about the build up with the home side's defence having at least one chance to cut out a move on the left that appeared to pose no great threat until Philip Keogh was given time to line up a left-footed shot that he then struck very well.

Pat Dolan's side immediately picked up their game and the balance of chances created started to shift towards the other end of the pitch.

Ger McCarthy, though, never caused any problems while Mbabazi was generally at the sort of range where something spectacular would have been required to trouble Matt Gregg.

Bray's goalkeeper, with the club until the end of the season after having been released by Crystal Palace, was never really called on to do much by anybody. In fact, although the couple of times he came to intercept crosses from the flanks, his attempted clearances suggested that a team with real wingers could enjoy a profitable evening against him.

For St Patrick's, the route to goal was always more likely to be through the centre, but even their better efforts there came to nothing despite the growing sense of urgency that crept into their game through the second half.

The home side's third striker, Kevin Doyle, should have pulled his side level eight minutes into the second period when Trevor Croly's slightly wayward shot was chested invitingly into his path only for the youngster to slice his side-footed shot high over the bar.

Six minutes later McCarthy slipped Michael Holt clear into the box only for the substitute to miss the target too.

It became increasingly desperate with St Patrick's pressing forward more and Bray's counter-attacking becoming a more peripheral part of the game, but Bray held on as did Gregg in injury-time when if he had failed to hold Trevor Croly's firmly driven shot from 25 yards, he would have handed Dolan's men a midweek replay by the seaside.

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Kelly; Croly, Foley, Maguire, Burke; Marney (McGuinness, 61 mins), Osam, Russell (Griffin, 80 mins); Mbabazi, McCarthy, Doyle (Holt, 67 mins).

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Britton (Long, 86 mins), Doohan, Lynch, Farrell; Morgan, Tresson, Gormley, Keogh; Keegan, Fox.

Referee: D O'Hanlon (Waterford).

Longford Town yesterday succeeded in obtaining a High Court injunction preventing Stephen Kenny from sitting in the dug-out at Flancare Park this evening when the Dubliners are due to take on his former club Longford Town in the second round of the Carlsberg FAI Cup.

Under the terms of the order Kenny must watch the game from the stand rather than take charge of things from the sidelines. In his absence it appears that Liam O'Brien will be in the Bohemians dug out.

The issue of Longford's claim for compensation, meanwhile, was not discussed yesterday.