DUNDALK PULLED off the ultimate smash and grab at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night to break Bray Wanderers' hearts.

The Louth side were second best for the majority of the match but they robbed Eddie Gormley's young charges of all three points when Garry Breen headed home in the 90th minute.

The hosts missed a penalty and hit the woodwork in the first half and squandered more good opportunities to take the lead after the break and as is so often the case, these misses came back to haunt them.

Wanderers had new signings Robbie Doyle and Richie Baker on show for the season opener and the new-look Wicklow club almost got off to the perfect start when they were awarded a second minute penalty.

Liam Burns collected a throw in from the left but the former Bohemians man was very casual with the ball and striker Shane O'Neill took it from him and found himself through on goal.

Burns then clipped O'Neill's heels as the youngster looked set to shoot and referee Dave McKeon awarded the home side a penalty, but opted not to punish Burns further by issuing a card despite the chance being a goalscoring opportunity.

Buoyed on by a very successful pre-season campaign, O'Neill opted to take the penalty himself but the local lad was denied by Dundalk goalkeeper Peter Cherrie, who dived to his left to push it away.

Gormley's side then went even closer to taking a deserved lead on 14 minutes when centre half Shane O'Connor rose highest to meet Jake Kelly's right wing corner but the defender's downward header came back off the intersection of the crossbar and the post before being scrambled away.

O'Connor lost centre half partner Philip Knight to injury in the 12th minute, with Nicky Byrne his replacement but despite that enforced alteration the Seagulls' extremely young backline were surprisingly solid.

They were almost breached midway through the first half when Neale Fenn held the ball up in the area before rolling it back to J.J. Melling to hit but fortunately for Bray the former Leyton Orient man skied his 12 yard effort.

Fenn then went for glory himself on the 30 minute mark from a 25 yard free kick but the number 10 failed to trouble home custodian Brian Kane with his drive.

Fenn's strike partner Fahrudin Kudozovic then spurned Dundalk's first clear cut chance of the match five minutes before half time. The impressive Shaun Kelly whipped in an inviting cross towards the near post that the unmarked Bosnian stooped to head, but his flicked effort flew over Kane's crossbar.

At the beginning of the second period the visitors were almost given a fortuitous lead when Shane O'Connor came close to putting the ball in his own net.

Kudozovic found Kelly on the right wing and the defender sent in another great cross, this time a low drilled effort, that O'Connor miscued when trying to clear but his blushes were saved by Kane who reacted in time to claim the ball.

Kelly and his fellow defenders had struggled to deal with Shane O'Neill's pace throughout the match and shortly after the hour mark they were again left badly exposed at the back by the speed demon.

Chris Shields tried to play in O'Neill but the midfielder's lofted pass was over-hit by several yards. That didn't stop O'Neill though, who streaked past final defender Ciaran McGuigan before seeing his effort blocked by the legs of Cherrie who had sprinted out of his goal.

With a minute of normal time remaining, Daire Doyle conceded a corner under very little pressure.

Former Wanderers Player of the Season Alan Cawley took the flag kick and he found Burns at the back stick, who managed to beat Kane from close range.

- DANIEL GORMAN