PETE MAHON saw his St Patrick's Athletic side leapfrog over Bray Wanderers after a hard-fought victory over the Seagulls at the Carlisle Grounds.

Striker Danny North was the hero as he made it four goals in four league games as the resurgent Saints made it five games unbeaten with the narrowest of victories.      

North's late opportunist goal ended the Seagulls unbeaten run in a game which had a sour ending with Bray defender Adam Mitchell shown the red card in added time as tempers boiled over.

The Saints did have early chances when first defender Ian Bermingham put striker Daryl Kavanagh in the clear down the left, but his angled shot from 15 yards was narrowly off target.

Then a cross from striker North on the right threatened danger only for Bray central defender Derek Prendergast to make a vital clearance on his goal line.

Bray had what looked like legitimate appeals for a penalty turned down on 28 minutes when a Danny O'Connor cross appeared to be handled by St Pat's midfielder Paul Crowley inside the area. But Cork referee Alan Kelly decided merely to award a corner.

The Inchicore men almost took the lead three minutes from the interval when a 40 yard lob by North was grabbed just under the bar by alert Bray 'keeper Matt Gregg.

There was no lack of effort from either side but on a night when defences were totally on top, respective 'keepers Gregg and Gary Rogers were often virtual spectators - such was lack of finishing finesse from both teams.

But that all changed on 78 minutes when midfielder Stephen Bradley supplied the pass for defender Ian Bermingham to send in a low defence-splitting pass from the left for North to finish from close range giving Gregg no chance.  

Bray were then desperately unlucky not to equalise on 84 minutes when a 30 yard free by the always impressive Gary Dempsey rebounded off the bar with Rogers beaten. There was a stormy end to the game when Bray defender Mitchell was shown the red card for a foul on Bermingham                

Bray Wanderers - Gregg; Webster, Mitchell, Prendergast, Massey (McGuinness 86); J Kelly 6, Dempsey, D.O'Connor, Mulroy (O'Neill 69); C Murphy, Shields (G Kelly 72).

St Patrick's Athletic - Rogers; Pender, E McMillan, Shortall, Bermingham; A Murphy 6 (Stewart 87), Bradley, Crowley, Derek Doyle; Kavanagh, North (D McMillan 90).

Referee - Alan Kelly (Cork).