Bray Wanderers 1 Dundalk 1: BRAY WANDERERS left it late to to pinch a point against fellow strugglers Dundalk in a tense encounter at the Carlisle Grounds.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Dave Webster fired home from 20 yards after fellow substitute Ismahil Akinade had laid a perfect ball back into his former’s path.

The Seagulls might have broken the deadlock on 13 minutes when a low cross from Marty Waters on the left allowed striker Jason Byrne to get in a shot which was deflected off Seán Whelan into the path of John Mulroy, only for the latter to shoot narrowly wide.

Both teams did have the ball in the net when first Derek Foran headed home for Dundalk and then Byrne was on target for Bray. Both efforts were correctly ruled out for offside.

Dundalk went close to grabbing the lead on 33 minutes when, from a corner by Mark Griffin, Michael Rafter’s header was cleared off the line by Mulroy with the goalkeeper beaten.

Bray had chances early in the second half when first Waters fired over the top and then Adam Hanlon shot straight at Cherrie from 12 yards.

The home side were to rue those misses when Dundalk opened the scoring on 55 minutes. Substitute Lorcan Shannon played a neat interchange of passes with Griffin to set up the chance for Gary Shanahan to fire home from close range.

BRAY WANDERERS: Quigley; S O’Connor, Mitchell, D O’Connor, Massey; Hanlon (Marshall 64 mins), Houston (Webster 75 mins), K O’Connor, Waters; Byrne, Mulroy (Akinade 82 mins).

DUNDALK: Cherrie, Mountney (McDonnell 70), Foran, Whelan, Osborne; Walsh (Shannon 53 mins), Shields , O’Brien, Shanahan; Rafter (Woods 82 mins), Griffin.

Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).