Avondale United 0 Bray Wanderers 1: Bray's international defender Wesley Charles headed the visitors into the next round of the FAI Cup at Turner's Cross yesterday evening.
The big centre half, from St Vincent's and the Grenadines in the Caribbean, netted on 74 minutes to earn the visitors a victory they scarcely deserved against an outstanding Avondale United side.
The sending off of Avondale centre forward David Spratt on 63 minutes for an off-the-ball incident certainly did not help the home side's cause.
Munster Senior League representatives Avondale had enjoyed the better of the opening exchanges in the first half at the Cork venue
Strikers Spratt and Andrew Knowles had golden opportunities in a 10-minute spell midway through the opening period to give the home side a deserved lead but were thwarted by Wanderers goalkeeper Chris O'Connor.
Alan O'Shea in the Avondale goal made a splendid double save on 32 minutes from Jody Lynch and Ciarán O'Brien from the Bray side, but that was as close as the home side came to making the breakthrough.
AVONDALE UNITED: O'Shea, Bambury, Ward, Goulding, Giltinan, Cotter, O'Sullivan, Kiernan, Knowles, Spratt, O'Driscoll. Subs: Caulfield for O'Driscoll (70 mins).
BRAY WANDERERS: O'Connor, Tresson, Davey, Lynch, Charles, James, McGuinness, Keogh, Zayed, O'Brien, O'Hanlon.Subs: Ryan for James (73 mins); McGrory for O'Brien (88 mins); Dunne for McGuinness (90 mins).
Referee: A O'Regan (Cork)
