Even the scoreline doesn't flatter a decisive win for Dermot Keely's title favourites in another match that Bray will quickly want to forget.
On this performance, Bray's tag of dark horses for honours looks considerable wide of the mark. Wanderers, beaten 3-1 in Derry the previous week, can have few complaints as they lost at home for the first time in a year as Shelbourne lift themselves to within a point of second place Bohemians.
"It's our best performance of the season," said Dermot Keely, Shelbourne's manager. "We showed a lot of appetite."We've got stuffed out here many times before so it was nice to come out and be so workmanlike and get a great result." A speculative shot and a goalkeeping error contrived to give Shelbourne their lead on 25 minutes. Davy Byrne let fly more in hope than anything else from 22 yards, the ball bouncd inches in front of Alan Young and squirmed under the embarrassed keeper's body into the bottom left-hand corner of his net.
The influential Byrne then fired another shot off a post three minutes later as the whole Bray defence stood indicted for allowing him the space to do so.
Bray created the first real sniff of a chance on 12 minutes. Jason Byrne cleverly laying off a cross from Phil Keogh first time for Barry O'Connor who shot just over Steve Williams' crossbar.
Matt Britton then thwarted Shelbourne's first real chance on 17 minutes with a superb tackle on Stephen Geoghegan as the striker was teeing up to shoot after Byrne's cross was somehow allowed to run through to him.
Geoghegan was then screaming for a penalty for a hand ball ten minutes before the break after Maurice Farrell knew precious little about making a goal-line clearance after Jonathan Minnock and Richie Baker set up Geoghegan just yards from goal.
Referee Hugh Byrne didn't hesitate to point to the spot, however, within two minutes of the restart when Britton needlessly pushed Goeghegan as he came to meet a Dessie Baker cross. Baker sent Young the wrong way from the spot.
Dessie Baker was then influential in setting up younger brother Richie for Shelbourne's third goal on 65 minutes. Skipping to the end line to cross, Dessie picked out Richie at the near post and he swivelled to drill the ball into the far corner of the net.
"I just want to put on my coat and leave," said Bray boss Pat Devlin, perhaps only half-joking. "This ground is our fortress and we hadn't been beaten here in 15 games. It's ironic that we made it so easy for Shelbourne.
"This isn't good for the club and its totally unacceptable."
BRAY WANDERERS: Young; Britton, Doohan, Charles; Tresson, Fox, Gormley, Keogh; O'Connor, Fox. Subs: Morgan for Gormley (56 mins), Ryan for Farrell (58 mins), Long for Britton (68 mins).
SHELBOURNE: Williams; Heary, Doherty, Hutton, Minnock; D Byrne, Gannon, Fenlon, R Baker; S Geoghean, D Baker. Subs: B Byrne for Gannon (82 mins).
Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).
