Not for the first time this season, Pat Fenlon's stout heart and eye for goal earned Shelbourne a late, late win. The little midfielder dived low to head a Dessie Baker cross from the right into the bottom corner of the net in the third minute of added time for the only goal of a dreadfully poor match.

It was the second time Fenlon has won a match for Shelbourne deep into injury-time this season. And few could fail to be conscious of the irony of it all in a week that saw the club's protest at the failure to play time added on in their match in Cork thrown out.

In fairness, it was never going to be pretty as the conditions utterly mitigated against a flowing game of football as the pitch resembled a quagmire at the end.

With the players sliding about desperately a times, Shelbourne carved out the few chances of note before the break with Dean Fitzgerald shooting tamely wide on 10 minutes while Tony Sheridan was deprived of a goal by a superb save from John Walsh, who also did well to hold the well-struck shot.

Bray were well in the game, however, and only a tight offside decision prevented them from being in front at half-time when Barry O'Connor ran through onto John Ryan's pass to shoot past Alan Gough and into the net.

Shelbourne: Gough; Gifford, Scully, McCarthy, D Geoghegan; D Baker, Doolin, Fitzgerald, Fenlon; Sheridan, S Geoghegan.

Bray Wanderers: Walsh; Tresson, Lynch, Doohan, Keogh; Ryan, Smyth, Tierney, O'Connor; Byrne, Parsons. Subs: K O'Brien for Byrne (70 mins), P O'Brien for Parsons (87 mins).

Referee: G Perry (Dublin).