Having decorated the eircom League for so many seasons as a set-piece artist Bray Wanderers Eddie Gormley would be the first to acknowledge Alan Cawley’s tasty contribution at Terryland Park on Friday.
Just as Galway United were beginning to stir in the second half, Bray were awarded a free kick from an acute angle.
Cawley supplied an ice cool finish and Bray were armed with an advantage that was never relinquished.
There was much to admire in Bray’s crisp opening period display as Eddie Gormley’s charges passed the ball with conviction.
Midfielders Cawley and Mark Duggan were both prominent, but despite owning the ball for vast chunks of the half Bray were unable to summon the goal that their positive approach merited.
Duggan, Cawley, and Patrick Kavanagh all rattled shots on target, but Galway custodian Gary Rogers made several splendid stops against his former club.
The most impressive save arrived in the 35th minute when Rogers denied Duggan following a sweet Kavanagh assist.
Galway were fortunate that Rogers and the versatile John Lester were demonstrating their prowess to repeatedly thwart the visitors.
But Galway improved considerably in the third quarter and within minutes of the restart Alan Murphy and Derek O’Brien blasted efforts on target.
Bray regained the initiative when Cawley snatched the lead goal in the 59th minute with an astute free kick which deceived Rogers.
Derek Glynn went close for Galway ten minutes from time, but the Wanderers survived a tense climax.
Galway United: Rogers; Nootimeer, Charles, Lester, Reilly; Moran, Fagan (Robson 76), Murphy, O’Brien (Tracey 53); Faherty (Fahy 76), Glynn
Bray Wanderers: Williams; Tresson, Deans, Kenny, Cronin; Kavanagh, Cawley (Gough 90), Duggan, O’Shea; Georgescu (Dunphy 11, Hurley 65) Fox
Referee: H Whoriskey (Dublin)
