Bray come from behind to secure double over St Pat’s

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 Bray Wanderers 2

Hugh Douglas scored his first league goal of the season to earn Bray Wanderers a double over careless St Patrick's at Richmond Park.

Though St Pat's, with four changes from their 0-0 draw at Shamrock Rovers on Friday, started brightly with Conan Byrne heading over the top from Graham Kelly's right wing cross inside the opening minute, Bray's direct running always caused them problems.

Home keeper Brendan Clarke was worked for the first time on 19 minutes, spreading himself well to save Dylan Connolly's shot after Ger Pender put the flying winger through.

Clarke had to rescue St Pat’s again on 38 minutes with the stop of the first half.

Again Connolly’s pace saw him gallop in behind the home rearguard with Clarke off his line well to push the shot out for a corner.

Having survived, St Pat’s then snatched the lead with a terrific goal on 43 minutes.

Jamie McGrath spun on the edge of the area to set up midfielder Graham Kelly who ran onto the ball and hit a stunning first time right-foot shot that arrowed to the corner of the net past Peter Cherrie.

But Bray punished some hesitant defending to level 12 minutes into the second half when Pender turned on a loose ball in the area to rifle to the net.

Further sloppy defending was equally clinically availed of by Bray for what proved their winner four minutes later.

St Pat's defender Ian Bermingham was caught in possession by Bray's right-back Douglas who blasted the ball to the roof of the net.

St Patrick's Athletic: Clarke; O'Brien, Feely, Desmond, Bermingham; Barker, Kelly; Byrne, McGrath (Markey, 85), Timlin (B. Dennehy, 73); Fagan.

Bray Wanderers: Cherrie; Douglas, Kenna, Clancy, Lynch; Sullivan (McNally, 90+2); Moore, Salmon, Noone, Connolly (Marks, 86); Pender (Lyons, 79).

Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).