Dave Webster struck in injury-time to deny Dundalk victory at the Carlisle Grounds in the Airtriciy Premier Division tonight.
It had seemed as if Dundalk would take all three points and their first win under caretaker boss Darius Kierans thanks to Gary Shanahan 55th minute goal.
But substitute Webster denied the Lilywhites with a 94th minute leveller and ensure Bray earned 1-1 draw.
The Wicklow club bossed proceedings and created enough chances to win the game handsomely.
They spurned three clear cut chances to take an early lead.
Kieran Marty Waters’ 13th minute delivery off the left flank saw Jason Byrne’s shot on the turn blocked by Paul Whelan and John Mulroy’s volleyed follow up sliced wide.
Then just 90 seconds later, Adam Hanlon played a ball over the top for Sean Houston to run onto.
He turned back onto his left foot when shooting with right was the better opposition and Peter Cherrie dealt easily with dealt with the close range effort.
Bray should have taken a 19th minute lead however.
Dane Massey whipped a left flank free that Byrne deftly laid off for
Waters to beat the offside.
But the striker’s low poke rolled agonisingly wide from six yards.
The Lilywhites were almost went in front against the run of play ten
minutes before the interval.
Griffin’s well flighted corner was superbly met by Michael Rafter’s
header but the covering Mulroy nodded off the line at the front post.
Bray were caught by a sucker punch ten minutes into the second half by the Louth team.
Substitute Lorcan Shannon was on the field a matter of seconds when he played a through ball for Mark Griffin to chase down the right channel.
With the home defence calling for offside, Griffin drilled low across the box were Shanahan arrived to slide in a shot in off the far post.
That only seemed to spur on the home side. But they couldn’t find a way past a resolute Dundalk defence.
Looking to end their own barren run since returning form the
mid-season break back in June, Wanderers nearly equalised with a
quarter of an hour to go.
Sub Dean Marshall’s corner left Wanderers skipper Danny O’Connor with a free header at the back stick but his looping header was nodded off the line goal-line by Shannon.
The woodwork was next to deny the hosts as Kieran Marty Waters span off three opponents just two minutes later. His curling attempt beat Peter Cherrie but rebounded off the upright.
Then in the 81st minute, Waters set-up Mulroy with the away custodian pulled off a brilliant diving save.
It seemed Dundalk had done enough until Danny O’Connor’s low cross form the left was controlled by sub Ismahil Akinade who teed up Webster to smash a 25-yard rocket to the roof of the net to celebrate turning 23 last Thursday.
Bray Wanderers: Darren Quigley; Shane O’Connor; Danny O’Connor, Adam Mitchell, Dane Massey; Kevin O’Connor; John Mulroy Ismahil Akinade 82 mins), Sean Houston (Dave Webster 75 mins); Adam Hanlon (Dean Marshall 65 mins), Kieran Marty Waters; Jason Byrne.
Subs not used: Daire Doyle, Lee Dixon, Dean Zambra, Brian Kane.
Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; John Mountney (Stephen McDonnell 70 mins), Derek Foran, Paul Whelan, Eoghan Osbourne; Paul Walsh (Lorcan Shannon 53 mins), Chris Shields, Mark O’Brien, Gary Shanahan; Michael Rafter (William Woods 83 mins) , Mark Griffin.
Subs not used: Finian Farrelly, Nathan Murphy, Chris Reilly, Bob McKenna.
Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin).
