Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Bray Wanderers
Shamrock Rovers kept their slim hopes of Europa League football alive after Sean O'Connor's goal secured a 1-0 win over Bray in the SSE Airtricity League in Tallaght.
Rovers dominated throughout and should have been ahead as Dean Kelly and Ciaran Kilduff were denied by Stephen McGuinness early on.
O'Connor, though, broke the deadlock when he curled an effort past McGuinness after Kilduff set him up.
Rovers should have added to their tally after the break but McGuinness was in fine form. He denied Kilduff, Simon Madden and Karl Sheppard; Kieran Marty Waters also hit the post.
Bray could have opened the scoring within 60 seconds of the start, when David Scully's cross was met by the head of David Cassidy but he could only find the side netting.
Rovers replied seven minutes in when Simon Madden burst down the side flank, his swinging cross finding Dean Kelly, who made McGuinness dive to his right to save.
As the Rovers midfield began to gain the upper hand, Kilduff could have put them ahead. First, he whizzed an effort just wide from 25 yards on 14 minutes.
Five minutes later, Luke Byrne was creator, crossing for Kilduff, but again McGuinness managed a fine reflex save to deflect it over the bar.
Twenty-five minutes in Byrne kept the pressure on Bray down the left, but this time Kilduff couldn't get on the end of his cross.
Against the run of play Jake Kelly had a half-chance on the half hour. He created some space for himself but he couldn't hit the target, but Craig Hyland didn't look worried in the Rovers goal.
A Rob Cornwall interception then prevented Bray from getting an effort in on the Rovers goal. He timed his tackle to perfection as David Cassidy and Jake Kelly tried a nice interchange.
Pat Fenlon's Rovers hit the front on 42 minutes when Gary McCabe beat several Bray defenders with a mazy run before playing the ball into Kilduff. With his back to goal Kilduff laid the ball off to O'Connor, who sent his curling shot past McGuinness in the Bray goal.
Rovers picked up where they left off in the second half. Kelly rushed a volley, firing it over the bar despite having more time.
Ten minutes after the restart Rovers had a penalty claim when Madden went tumbling under the challenge of Adam Mitchell in the area. Referee Robert Harvey waved play on, though.
Rovers were piling on the pressure and but for another great save from McGuinness, it could have been 2-0. Kilduff was played through by Byrne but McGuinness saved well.
On the hour mark Rovers' Ryan Brennan and Adam Hanlon went for a 50/50 ball from which the Bray player come off worst: he was replaced minutes later.
Fenlon made a double substitution with 20 minutes left, former Bray striker Waters and Sheppard brought on to inject some pace into the Rovers attack.
A mistake by Michael Barker allowed Kilduff to run at the Bray defence, but his shot was saved by McGuinness, who then saved Sheppard's rebound.
Within minutes it almost led to the second goal as Sheppard saw his cross deflected by Mitchell onto his own crossbar.
As the game entered the final minutes Rovers were almost made pay for squandering chance after chance but ultimately they held on, keeping their slim chances of qualifying for Europe alive.
Shamrock Rovers: Craig Hyland, Simon Madden, Conor Kenna, Rob Cornwall, Luke Byrne, Shane Robinson, Sean O'Connor (Kieran Marty Waters 70), Gary McCabe, Ryan Brennan, Ciaran Kilduff, Dean Kelly (Karl Sheppard 70).
Bray Wanderers: Stephen McGuinness, Adam Mitchell, Eric McGill, Robert Maloney, Michael Barker, Dean Zambra, David Scully (Gareth McDonagh 78), Graham Kelly, Adam Hanlon (Philip Hughes 65), David Cassidy, Jake Kelly.
Referee: Robert Harvey
