Ger Pender scored for the fifth consecutive Premier Division match to set a Bray Wanderers record as Harry Kenny’s Seagulls had too much for Bohemians at the Carlisle Grounds.
In-form Bray have now lost just once in 15 games.
This victory lifts them above Bohemians up into the top half of the table for the first time this season.
Bray welcomed defensive midfielder John Sullivan back from injury, while flying winger Dylan Connolly returned from a one-match suspension.
In the only change for Bohemians, goalkeeper Shane Supple came back in for Dean Delany.
Starting purposefully, Bray were ahead from the first notable move of the game on four minutes when Pender raced in behind the static Bohemians defence onto Kevin Lynch’s ball over the top.
The striker then drew Supple before drilling his left-foot shot to the far corner of the net.
Bray maintained their positive start as Pender might have doubled their lead seven minutes later, bouncing his header from Karl Moore’s corner just wide.
Bohs responded with ex-Bray winger Jake Kelly firing wide from Kurtis Byrne’s lay-off on 13 minutes.
But much of the play remained at the other end as the pace of Connolly troubled Bohs for the first time nine minute later.
Galloping through the middle onto Moore’s pass, Connolly failed to beat Supple who saved well with his feet.
Ten minutes later Connolly was instrumental in Bray getting a deserved second goal on the counterattack following a Bohs corner.
Latching onto Jason Marks’ pass up the right flank, Connolly got quickly back to his feet from Bohs’ skipper Derek Pender’s tackle to run clear.
He then squared the ball for Sullivan, who’d run some 70 yards, to control it before confidently blasting his shot to the net.
No doubt with a few stern words from manager Keith Long ringing in their ears, Bohs came more into the game on the resumption with Byrne working Bray keeper Peter Cherrie for the first time nine minutes in.
Keith Buckley then threw the Gypsies a lifeline as they got a goal back on 81 minutes.
Byrne threaded a pass through for the midfielder who swept the ball past Cherrie.
But that was as good as it got for the visitors, who now sit in seventh place.
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie; Hugh Douglas (Sean Harding 79), Conor Kenna, Tim Clancy, Kevin Lynch; John Sullivan; Jason Marks (Darragh Noone 67), Mark Salmon, Karl Moore, Dylan Connolly; Ger Pender (Andrew Lewis 70).
Bohemians: Shane Supple; Derek Pender, Derek Prendergast, Ian Morris, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Paddy Kavanagh, Keith Buckley, Roberto Lopes, Jake Kelly (Eoin Wearen h-t); Dean O’Halloran (Mark Quigley 67), Kurtis Byrne.
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Clare).
