A STUBBORN Bray Wanderers defence kept Cork waiting until the final minute of the game be fore they secured the third goal that made victory certain in the Premier Division tie at Turner's Cross yesterday.

Cork found it extremely difficult to break down the Bray defence and just when it seemed they would have to settle for a 2-1 win, up stepped John Caulfield to sweep home the goal he had threatened all afternoon, finding himself in the right spot after Noel Hartigan had headed a corner into his path.

Both sides had strong penalty claims turned down by the referee, Bray in the 13th minute while Cork had even more substantial claims ignored when Caulfield was bundled off the ball in the 77th minute as he was about to shoot into an empty net.

Bray went in front after 10 minutes when Kieran O'Brien ran through a defence that was caught standing square to reach a clearance from goalkeeper John Walsh and touch the ball over the head of Cork's Philip Harrington.

Bray full back Tommy, Gill was unable to avoid deflecting a shot from Kelvin Flanagan into his own net to give Cork their equalising goal, after 19 minutes.

Cork's second goal came in the 73rd minute from Hartigan after goalkeeper Walsh had done well to parry an effort from Caulfield.