Bray Wanderers 0 Waterford FC 1
Waterford FC got back to winning ways with a superb defensive performance after they were forced to play almost an hour with ten men following a controversial red card for goal scorer Cameron Cresswell.
Keith Long made five changes to the side that lost to Cork City on Monday with Ronan Coughlan and Christie Pattisson injured, Roland Idowu was suspended following his red card at Turners Cross while Sam Perry and Drew Baker dropped to the bench.
Darragh Power made a welcome return at right back as did Dean McMenamy up front, while Killian Cantwell started his first game in five alongside captain Giles Philips in the centre of defence.
Elsewhere, Serge Atakayi came in for Pattisson while Cresswell replaced Coughlan. Sam Sargeant, Conor Parsons, Ryan Burke, Romeo Akachukwu and Niall O Keeffe completed the Blues starting 11.
The visitors got off to the best possible start after just three minutes when Conor Parsons raced into the area only to be pulled down by Conor Crowley and referee Oliver Moran had an easy decision to make.
Up stepped Cresswell who fired the penalty past Alex Moody for the lead.
Cresswell had an opportunity to double the Blues advantage when he was put through by Serge Atakayi on eleven minutes but Moody was equal to the shot and touched over.
In a bizarre turn of events, Cresswell was shown a second yellow card on 34 minutes when the referee adjudged him to have dived when the vast majority of crowd saw it as a foul on the Blues striker.
However the visitors responded brilliantly and held firm to the half time whistle.
As expected, the home side pressed home their numerical advantage in the second half but a resolute rearguard action from Waterford ensured that the three points headed back to the Deise.
Bray Wanderers: A Moody, L O Sullivan (Z Nolan 85'), C Crowley (H Groome 45'), C Lyons (C Davis 76'), C Omerehiomwan, D Massey (J Walker 60'), C Thompson, D Craven, M Murphy, G Almirall, S Quinn (D Webster 76')
Waterford FC: S Sargeant, D Power (A Baker 56'), R Burke, N O Keeffe, C Parsons, S Atakayi (S Perry 90'), C Cresswell, G Phillips, R Akachukwu (S Griffin 79'), K Cantwell, D McMenamy (R McDonald 56')
Referee: O Moran
