Drogheda United further eased their relegation worries when goals in each half by Dinny Corcoran and Philip Hand gave them only their fifth win in 25 league games this season with a narrow but deserved victory over Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday night.

Without four key players missing due of suspension - Derek Prendergast, Chris Shields, Shane O'Neill and Dave Webster - this was another setback for Bray with their sixth loss in their last seven league games after such a promising start to the season.

Bray had an early let-off when 'keeper Matt Gregg deliberately handled the ball outside his penalty area. The resulting free by Gavin Brennan was touched round the post by Gregg.

The Seagulls might have broken the deadlock on 20 minutes when Danny O'Connor and Dean Zamra combined nicely to set up a chance for Conor Murphy only for the young striker to micue his effort. Then John Mulroy had a an effort from the edge of the box blocked by the Drogheda defensive wall.

Drogheda should really have taken the lead on 26 minutes when a midirected back header from Dane Massey put Corcoran in the clear, but his hooked shot from the edge of the box was over the bar.

Bray might have made better use of a defensive mix-up between 'keeper Stephen Trimble and cental defender Alan McNally, only for Murphy to shoot wide of the target.

Skipper Gary Dempsey then went close for the home side after ghosting through the visitors' defence to accept a pass from Zambra only to see his effort well saved by Trimble.         

Drogheda did threaten on 40 minutes when a Hand throw-in on the left was touched on by Peter McMahon to allow the impressive Lee Lynch to get in an effort from 25 yards just over the bar.

But it was the visitors who took the lead one minute before the interval when Corcoran headed home from close range after good work between Lynch and Tiernan Mulvenna.

Drogheda might have stretched their lead on 57 minutes when the lively Mulvenna again shot inches wide after defender Stephen Quigley had created an opening on the right. The visitors again went close when Hand supplied the pass for Mulvenna on the left only for his cross to be fired over by Mark O'Brien.

Substitute Dan McGunness did pull a goal back for Bray in the 89th minute when stabbing home a shot from close range after a Zambra cross - but by then it was too little, too late, 

Bray Wanderers: Gregg; Doyle (G Kelly 68), Mitchell, Massey, Houston; Zambra, Dempsey, D O'Connor, J Kelly; Murphy (McGuinness 62), Mulroy (Tresson 86). 

Drogheda United: Trimble; Quigley, McNally, Rogers, Hand; O'Brien, McMahon, Lynch, G.Brennan; Mulvenna (White 86), Corcoran. 

Referee: Rob Rogers (Dublin).