LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION: Bray Wanderers ... 2 St Patrick's Ath ... 1A DRAMATIC 96th minute winner from striker Paul Byrne gave Bray Wanderers their first victory of the season in a tense, lengthy and much-interrupted Premier Division clash with St Patrick's Athletic at the Carlisle Grounds last night.

The start of the second-half was delayed for 41 minutes when the stadium was plunged into darkness after a floodlight failure during the interval.

The Seagulls did have an early first half chance when Jake Kelly sent Paul Byrne bursting through the middle only for his 16-yard effort to be finger-tipped round the post by goalkeeper Gary Rogers.

St Patrick's went close to breaking the deadlock on 10 minutes when Kyle Moran fed fellow striker Mark Quigley only for the latter's 12 yard effort to be brilliantly pushed round the post by the alert Chris O'Connor in the home goal. Paul Byrne had two chances for the home side with long range efforts - but it was a night on which defences were on top in the early stages.

After that lengthy 56 minute half time break because of the floodlight failure, Bray made the more promising start when striker John Flood ran onto a a long ball from the always impressive Derek Foran only to see his volley finish inches over the top.

St Pat's were not to be outdone when Cawley and Quigley combined well to set up the chance for Damian Lynch to cut in from the right with his parting effort brilliantly pushed out by O'Connor. Then David Partridge lobbed over when well placed after a cross from the right from Ryan Guy.

Quigley did have the ball in the net for St Pat's on 72 minutes only for the big travelling support's celebrations to be cut shot by an offside flag from referee's assistant Mark Douglas.

It was agony for the visitors and ecstasy for Bray just 60 seconds later when winger Kelly was taken down just inside the area by goalkeeper Rogers. The same player cooly took the penalty himself, firing low into the corner of the net.

But, to their credit, St Pat's were level in the fourth minute of added time when a Quigley effort was punched out by O'Connor only for Stuart Byrne to head home the rebound from 20 yards. Incredibly the excitement wasn't over as Bray grabbed a sensational winner in the 96th minute when a Dean Massey free on the right was nodded home by striker Paul Byrne to secure the three points.

BRAY WANDERERS:O'Connor; Webster (Doyle 89), Foran, Deans, Massey; McCabe, Brennan, Shields, Kelly (Coughlan 82); Byrne, Flood (Mulroy 80).

ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC:Rogers; Lynch,Partridge, Gavin, Stevens; Guy, Byrne, Cawley (Lester 56), Ryan; Moran (Fitzpatrick 68), Quigley.

Referee:Derek Tomney (Dublin).