Daryl Horgan's first goal of his second spell with Dundalk proved the difference as the Lilywhites crept past Bray Wanderers in torrential conditions at the Carlisle Grounds to book their place in the quarter-finals of the FAI Cup.
Stephen O’Donnell began his journey to Cup glory with St Pat’s with a 6-0 win over the Seagulls two years ago but there was never likely to be a repeat of that result given the strong wind and rain that threw up the potential for an upset.
The 12-time winners struggled to break down Ian Ryan’s side for long periods of the game despite missing a first-half penalty when Connor Malley struck the crossbar.
That was until the 86th minute when former Republic of Ireland international Horgan rifled to the net for what was his 31st goal for the Lilywhites.
While the Louth men were rarely threatened by Bray, they were left breathing a sigh of relief at the full-time whistle as the dogged First Division side made them work for their place in the last eight.
The home side were first to threaten on nine minutes with Darren Craven’s free in from the right just missed by Ben Feeney as the ball flashed across the six yard box.
Having fired high and wide four minutes earlier, former Seagull Daniel Kelly was then played in by Malley on 18 minutes but despite knocking the ball past Matthew Connor, the danger was easily cleared by Sean Quinn.
Quinn was then at fault for needlessly giving a penalty away on 25 minutes as he tripped John Martin as he was going away from goal into the corner but Bray were let off the hook when Malley smacked his effort off the crossbar.
Archie Davies then flashed an effort to the wide and right after bursting past Len O’Sullivan before Dane Massey registered the game’s first attempt on target three minutes before the break when he headed tamely at Shepperd from a corner after Guillermo Almirall’s effort deflected wide.
The woodwork would then deny Dundalk again on 43 minutes with Martin’s downward header from Davies’ cross popping up and spinning over off the bar.
With the elements in their favour in the second half, Bray were first to threaten on the restart with Conor Crowley bursting from half-way on 55 minutes only to fire well over in the end.
Davies then fired just wide again four minutes later after the ball had broken to him at the edge of the box from Sam Durrant’s cross.
Robbie McCourt then had an effort blocked by Cole Omorehiomwan on 61 minutes before Horgan fired tamely wide with the follow up.
Horgan then had Dundalk’s first shot on target on 66 minutes but he fluffed his lines in the difficult conditions after being slipped in by Durrant and it was easily saved by Connor.
Bray then went close to a breakthrough seven minutes later when O’Sullivan’s cross broke to Callum Thompson in the box but the former Wolves underage star couldn’t hit the target.
The visitors thought they had found the breakthrough on 74 minutes when Kelly broke through on the right to beat Connor but the goalkeeper got enough of a touch on it to hold the ball up with Quinn sliding in to clear off the line.
O’Sullivan then curled a shot well wide before Dundalk finally took the lead on 86 minutes with a route one approach.
Malley’s ball forward was knocked down by Patrick Hoban into the path of Horgan, whose shot flashed past Connor with the aid of a deflection.
Craven did go close to an equaliser in stoppage time but the visitors held out to book their place in Tuesday's draw for the quarter-finals.
Bray Wanderers: Matthew Connor; Max Murphy, Sean Quinn, Cole Omorehiomwan, Dane Massey; Callum Thompson, Guillermo Almirall, Darren Craven, Conor Crowley (Harry Groome 68), Len O’Sullivan (Jake Walker 89); Ben Feeney (Yoyo Mahdy 68) (Daniel Chukwu 81)
Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Archie Davies, Darren Brownlie, Louie Annesley, Robbie McCourt; Daniel Kelly, Johannes Yli-Kokko (Alfie Lewis 74), Daryl Horgan, Connor Malley, Ryan O’Kane (Sam Durrant 39); John Martin (Patrick Hoban 74)
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Dundalk)
