A POWERFUL performance from their captain Peter Hutton, who scored two excellent second half goals, lifted Derry City into third place in the Premier Division after a win that flattered hapless Bray who are now in deep trouble at the bottom of the table.

Derry had the perfect start with a goal after just three minutes.

Andy Ramnge played Sean Hargan in behind the Bray defence with a superb pass, and Hargan did the rest, calmly shooting past the advancing Bray goalkeeper, Colin Kelly.

Kelly made a fine stop to deprive Hargan of a second before Bray equalised with their first direct attack of the game on 21 minutes.

Kieran O'Brien did well to keep the ball in down at the end line to find Ritchie Parsons. Parsons cut back past Gavin Dykes to beat Tony O'Dowd with a well placed drive into the bottom corner from 15 yards.

That goal hardly affected Derry who remained in control, and they duly restored their lead on 64 minutes when Liam Coyle worked his usual magic down the left to cross for Hutton to end his diagonal run to the near post with a neat sidefooter into the opposite corner of the net.

O'Brien wasted a glorious chance of an equaliser minutes before Hutton all but sealed Derry's win with his second goal in the 79th minute.

A fine sweeping move was begun when Ramnge played substitute Gary Beckett away down the left and Hutton's surging run in support from midfield was rewarded when Beckett picked him out to finish with another side foot shot from close range.

Parsons, with a delightfully chipped assist from new American signing Sergio Jaramillo, gave Bray some late hope with his second goal eight minutes from time, but Derry were never in danger of taking anything less than three points from a match they utterly dominated.