THE prodigal John Ryan, Bray's hero in their finest hour, returned to score the goal that ultimately confirmed their relegation at the Carlisle Grounds last night.
With the ground floodlit for an evening match for the first time, the flicker on Bray's tenuous hold on Premier Division survival finally went out as Bohemians strengthened their prospects of European football next season.
The only goal came after 63 minutes. Derek Swan fed Paul Doolin who broke in from the right. He lost control of the ball as he attempted to thread it through, but a fortunate deflection off a defender gave the ball to Ryan, a first half substitute for Tony O'Connor, and he turned smartly to shoot past John Walsh.
In a first half of precious little note, Swan offered the clearest chance of a goal after 27 minutes when he cracked a right foot volley from 12 yards off the Bray crossbar following a neat build up involving Brian Mooney and Peter Hanrahan.
Within a minute Ritchie Parsons fluffed Bray's best effort when failing to connect with Pat O'Brien's cross when totally unmarked at the back post.
The small attendance might have been given more of a spectacle if Doolin had done better with a clear chance in only, the first minute. But the Bohemians midfielder, having been played through by Tony O'Connor, miscued his shot which rolled harmlessly into the arms of John Walsh.
Parsons did have the ball in the Bohemians net on eight minutes, but clearly kicked the ball out of the grasp of Dave Henderson before sliding it into the net.
The second half began much better with Swan forcing a fine diving save from Walsh at one end while Graham O'Hanlon, picked out superbly by Kieran O'Brien, will be annoyed he didn't do better at the other end as Henderson came off his line quickly to save at his feet.
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