O’Connor brace gets Seagulls off mark

Skipper Danny O’Connor was the hero as his two second-half goals earned Bray Wanderers their first PremierDivision points of the season in a five-goal thriller at the Belfield Bowl last night.

Striker Jason Byrne put the visitors ahead on the half hour when clinically heading home from close range past keeper Darren Quigley after a Marty Waters cross from the left was miscued by UCD defender Paul O’Connor.

The Students were level four minutes before the interval when Bray defender Conor Butler was yellow-carded after taking down Chris Lyons in the box. Graham Rusk made no mistake with the resulting penalty.

Perhaps against the run of play College took the lead on 66 minutes when Rusk fired home his second penalty of the night after Conor Butler had taken down Daniel Ledwith inside the box.

But Bray were level again on 74 minutes when Danny O’Connor was on target with a lob from close range, after clever build-up work between Dane Massey and Byrne.

And it was that man O’Connor again with the winner six minutes before the end with a powerful header past Barron at the far post.

UCD: Barron; Ledwith, David O’Connor, Leahy, Nangle; P O’Connor, Mulhall, Kavanagh, Rusk, Benson (Clarke 77); Lyons.

BRAY WANDERERS: Quigley; Zambra, Mitchell, Massey, Butler (Webster 71); Hanlon, Heuston, Danny O’Connor, Kelly, Waters; Byrne (Mulroy 76).

Referee: Paul McLoughlin (Monaghan).