Bray through at last

Bray Wanderers advanced to an FAI Cup semi-final meeting with Shelbourne on Good Friday courtesy of the guile and calmness of their versatile defender Colm Tresson.

Tresson's perfect 51st-minute penalty, after he had dispossessed Mark Hutchison on the right to then be tripped by the retreating Neil Ogden, was ultimately no more than Bray deserved as they outplayed Sligo in this quarterfinal second replay at the Carlisle Grounds last night.

Thankfully, the goal soon allayed any fears of the long night that appeared in prospect as the teams left the field scoreless at the break.

The familiarity of having played each other four times already this season seemed to have bred some contempt with tackles flying in from the start. Matt Hare and Neil Ogden found their way into referee Gerry Perry's book, while Barry O'Connor was lucky not to have received the same for a late challenge on Sligo goalkeeper Nicky Broujos in an ill-tempered opening 45 minutes.

But there was football and Johnny Hoeks and Marcus Hallows failed to give Sligo's bright start any tangible reward when missing good openings early on before Bray gradually got well on top.

Coyle, guilty of a poor effort on goal minutes earlier, picked Stephen Fox out with a sublime cross on 29 minutes only for Fox's volley to come down off the Sligo crossbar and bounce clear with Bray claiming fruitlessly it was a goal.

Tresson's penalty completely settled Bray down and they dominated the remainder of the game, somehow contriving to avoid winning by a much greater margin after two misses by O'Connor and an excellent save by Broujos from Robbie Coyle.

Bray Wanderers: Walsh; Lynch, Tresson, Doohan; P Brien, O'Connor, Tierney, Dodd, Keogh; Fox, Coyle. Subs: Smyth for Dodd (66 mins).

Sligo Rovers: Broujos; A Callaghan, Charles, Hare, Hutchison; Kennedy, Ogden, O'Grady, Rowlands; Hallows, Hoeks. Subs: Shannon for Rowlands (69 mins); Oates for Hoeks (78 mins); McGlynn for Hare (84 mins).

Referee: G Perry (Dublin).