Bray Wanderers survived a late Galway revival to secure three valuable points at the Carlisle Grounds to keep their European dreams alive.
Memories of their first meeting here this season, when they lost 10 and had two players sent off, were quickly wiped away by Bray, who scored after just 90 seconds.
Jason Byrne broke down the left to pick out Phil Keogh with a cross at the second attempt and the winger blasted the ball into the roof of the net from 16 yards. In the following five minutes Byrne then shot into the side netting and blazed over the top.
Inspiration was needed by Galway to get them back into the match and it came from Bobby Ryan on 28 minutes. The winger skipped between to bewildered Bray defenders before beating John Walsh with a sublime leftfoot chip from the edge of the area.
Colm Tresson, Bray's main inspiration, struck back for Wanderers six minutes later. Scott Morgan took down Tresson in full flight as he burst through from midfield and he brushed himself down to score from the spot.
Bray had the better of the early stages of the second-half with Tresson and then Keogh coming close to increasing their lead before Galway finished strongly.
Maurice Farrell cleared off the line from Tom Silke while Walsh then made a superb save from Billy Clery with Tresson clearing off the line from Ollie Neary.
BRAY WANDERERS: Walsh; Long, Lynch, Tresson, Farrell; O'Connor, Campbell, Gormley, Keogh; Fox, Byrne. Subs: O'Brien for Gormley (injured 17 mins).
GALWAY UNITED: Forde; Crossley, Clery, Silke, Morgan; O'Brien, Sheridan, Murphy, Ryan; Goldbey, Keogh. Subs: Malee for O'Brien (59 mins); Burke for Keogh (71 mins); Neary for Ryan (83 mins).
