National League/Bray Wanderers 0 Cork City 0: Cork City goalkeeper Mark McNulty produced another man-of-the-match display with two terrific late stops as the reigning champions escaped from Bray with a point.
Having saved a penalty from Shelbourne's Jason Byrne as Cork booked their place in the Setanta Sports Cup on Monday, McNulty was their hero again as the title holders slipped four points behind league leaders Drogheda.
Eamon Zayed seemed certain to finally break the deadlock in a match Bray had the better of when Robbie Doyle put him through on goal on 84 minutes. But McNulty somehow saved with this feet before Danny Murphy completed the clearance.
Two minutes later Zayed returned the compliment to put Doyle in on goal. And once again McNulty stood up well to turn the shot out for a corner.
Without a win in their five competitive games, Bray were determined to frustrate Cork and adopted a counterattacking 5-4-1 formation with Zayed, much of the time, on the right wing and Doyle the lone striker.
It was a strategy that worked as they contained Cork and created much of the better openings of the first half before the visitors came alive shortly before the break.
Poor defending brought Bray's initial openings, the first when McNulty came out of his area but misjudged a long ball from Stephen Caffrey. Despite the ball bouncing over this head, McNulty recovered well to turn and hook the ball clear with David Tyrrell bearing down.
A further error brought the second opening when Murphy was negligent in gifting possession to Stephen Fox. But the reprieve for Cork came with the big midfielder hurriedly volleying well wide.
Having scarcely been in the game, Cork almost took the lead with their only chance of the half on 42 minutes. Denis Behan controlled Murphy's cross to lay it off for Joe Gamble, but the low drive from over 20 yards was superbly saved one-handedly by Chris O'Connor.
The action continued on the same goal from the resumption, but it was McNulty who had to tip over Zayed's diving header from Doyle's left-wing cross.
Cork enjoyed a good spell with Admir Softic, Gamble and Roy O'Donovan coming close.
BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor; Caffrey, Roche, Tresson, McGovern, Keogh; Zayed, Fox, Charles (W Tyrrell, 12 mins), D Tyrrell; Doyle (Byrne, 90 mins).
CORK CITY: McNulty; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; O'Donovan, O'Callaghan (Softic, 54 mins.), Gamble, O'Brien; Behan (Sullivan, 81 mins), Fenn.
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).
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