Lightning struck twice as Paul Keegan shot Bray down for the second time this season as Drogheda United beat Bray Wanderers 1-0 at the Carlisle Grounds this afternoon.
The midfielder had claimed the winner in the reverse fixture between the clubs last March at United Park, and with six minutes left on the clock, he repeated that feat.
Colm Tresson tried to shepherd Shane Robinson's corner out of play but Graham Gartland kept the ball in.
Then Wesley Charles dallied as the resulting cross came in and failed to clear as Keegan pounced for his seventh league goal of the season from eight yards.
The result moves the Louth side up to second place, a point behind leaders Cork City but with a game in hand.
Matters got worse for the Seasiders three minutes before the end as defender Charles was sent off for a second yellow card after fouling Shane Barrett.
The visitors began well with Chris O'Connor having to race off his line to divert Robinson's attempt after the winger had got in behind Stephen Gifford to latch onto Damien Lynch's through ball.
Robinson turned provider six minutes later. Declan O'Brien lost his marker to flick a corner on with the ball bouncing narrowly wide of the far post.
But from then on it was the Seagulls who dominated until the interval.
In the 20th minute, Stephen Fox laid Stephen Gifford's long throw into Eamon Zayed's path and the striker side-stepped two opponents but his 15-yard low drive was easily dealt with by Dan Connor.
It gave the hosts the impetus with Connor parrying a Robbie Doyle drive and from the resulting corner, Charles looped a header over the 'keeper which the covering Gartland had to head off his line.
Then in the 40th minute, Doyle's right-wing cross was deflected to the far post with veteran marksman Kieran O'Brien hitting the side netting.
United went close to a second just after the restart when substitute Barrett curled narrowly wide with the outside of his foot from 20 yards.
Hwoever, Keegan popped with the winner in the 84th minute and United held on to take all three points leaving Bray second from bottom, just above Waterford United with nine points.
Bray Wanderers: O'Connor; Gifford, Charles, McGovern, Tresson; Doyle, Caffrey, Fox, D. Tyrrell (Ryan 90 mins); K O'Brien (James 90 mins), Zayed.
Drogheda United: Connor; Shelley, Gavin, Simon Webb; Whelan, Lynch, Keegan, Robinson; D O'Brien (Barrett 26 mins), Fitzpatrick (Ristila 57 mins).
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).
