Jason Byrne has had a bit of a rollercoaster ride since he arrived on the National League scene and the FAI Cup has always brought out the best in the teenager. Finn Harps are still reeling from the two goals Byrne, a cousin of Robbie Keane, stuck past them in last year's final, second replay, and now Derry have the rest of this campaign to lick their wounds after he scored two goals in a devastating three-minute period in last night's second round replay at the Carlisle Grounds.

An ankle injury has restricted Byrne's opportunities this season, but after coming on last night against a Derry team reduced to 10 men by Eamonn Doherty's 71st-minute sending off, he once again showed what he can do.

It's certainly a lesson City won't forget in a hurry. For most of the match they looked strong and controlled enough to win. Indeed, after Paddy McLaughlin put them in front with 19 minutes to go it was hard to see them not hanging on.

But Doherty's loss, for a second bookable offence and from a central midfield already without the suspended Paul Hegarty, skewed the visiting team's balance and allowed Bray back in the game.

Pat Devlin's plan, he said afterwards, had always been to get Byrne and Pat O'Brien, both injured of late, on together to run at the City defence. The scheme looked fairly inspired, with the midfielder finding the striker completely unmarked with a cross from the right 12 minutes from time which Byrne headed past David Platt from five yards out.

His second was close to a repeat, with Colm Tresson this time supplying the ball from the left. The young Dubliner was again left unattended six yards out. It proved another costly oversight for Derry.

Through the first half City had enjoyed the better of what was a good, open contest. Bray's major concern for the bulk of that phase was their hesitation when deep inside their own box. More than once Derry strikers found themselves in need of just one decent contact, but they were never able to make it.

Andy Moran came closest as early as the 14th minute when he turned his marker well but hit the post with his 10-yard shot. Philip Keogh's shot from 30 yards also flew fractionally over the crossbar shortly before the break but seemed to prompt a switch to a more long-range approach by City.

When they were next in a position to play the ball short into the danger zone, midfielder Paddy McLaughlin opted to have a crack himself. The shot shouldn't have unduly troubled John Walsh in the Wanderers goal, but he misjudged it as it squeezed under his body and rolled slowly over the line.

Bray: Walsh; Gifford, Doohan, Tresson, Farrell; Dutton, A Byrne, Keogh, Ryan; O'Connor, Fox. Subs: J Byrne for Dutton (58 mins), O'Brien for Fox (68 mins).

Derry: Platt; McCallion, Kelly, Hutton, Hargan; Moran, Doherty, McLaughlin, McCreadie; Fox, Coyle.

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).