FAI Cup holders Bray Wanderers were cruelly exposed in the downpour at the Hardturm stadium in Zurich last night as local side Grasshoppers effectively booked their place in the second round of the UEFA Cup.
Two goals from veteran Swiss striker Stephane Chapuisat and another brace late on from substitute Patrick Isabella effectively ended the National League side's hopes of causing an upset. The margin of victory might have been much greater, but for the heroics of John Walsh, who produced a string of fine stops, including saving a penalty.
Chapuisat's first came on the half hour after a needless foul by midfielder Aaron Lynch on Hakan Yakin. Chapuisat rifled home the resulting 20-yard free kick.
Grasshopper's second, on 63 minutes, looked off-side, but referee Salomir Mirca allowed play to continue as Chapuisat took a pass from Gurkan Sermeter to grab his second goal.
Chapuisat was denied a third when Walsh dived to his left to push his penalty shot round the post in the 65th minute. Barry O'Connor was ajudged to have taken down Boris Smiljanic in the box.
In a rare moment of danger for the home side, Grasshoppers goalkeeper Stefan Huber had to be sharp to push a 25-yard volley from Bray substitute Glen Brien round the post.
But Grasshoppers, showing the edge in both skill and fitness, continued to surge forward. And it came as no surprise when Isabella scored in the 78th minute, when he had the simple task of shooting home from close range after Kjetil Loevvik had carved open the Bray defence.
Isabella was again the man in the right place to end Bray's night of woe when he scored from six yards after Walsh was only able to push out a cross from Felicialo Magro in the 83rd minute.
There were no complaints from disappointed Bray manager Pat Devlin: "Technically Grasshoppers were far superior," said Devlin. "However I was not satisfied with our performance. Some of my players were below par and you cannot afford to carry people at this level."
Grasshoppers manager Roy Hodgson, the former Blackburn boss, was happy with his team's performance, although criticising early misses. "When we scored our second goal we were able to relax and started taking those chances. Fitness played a vital part in the result, especially in those final minutes."
Grasshoppers: Huber, Haas, Gren, Hodel, Yakin (Isabella 74), Tikva (Lovvik 63), Sermeter (Cabanas 80), Smilijanic, Magro, Zanni, Chapuisat. Subs Not Used: Walker, De Nicola, Petric, Schwegler. Goals: Chapuisat 30, 63, Isabella 78, 83.
Bray: Walsh, Tresson, Farrell, Kenny, Doohan, Keogh (Tierney 86), Byrne, Lynch (Brien 45), O'Brien, Fox, Connolly (O'Connor 59). Subs Not Used: Young, Smyth, McKeever, Dod.
Referee: M Salomir (Romania).