eircom League: Bray Wanderers 0 Derry City 3

Farren opened the scoring

Goals from Mark Farren, Stephen O'Flynn and Ciarán Martyn meant that Derry are two points clear of Cork City in the race for the title. And the two teams are now level on goal difference at +31 each although Derry have a superior goals scored record of 54 to Cork's 48.

But there were no premature celebrations from Derry boss Stephen Kenny who knows Cork still have a match in hand and Derry have just those two remaining fixtures at home to St. Patrick's Athletic on Sunday week and then the final showdown game against Cork at Turner’s Cross on November 18.

There was an inevitability about Derry's opening goal on 16 minutes when young Bray defender William Tyrell failed to get in a headed clearance. The alert Ciarán Martyn was able to head across the face of goal for Mark Farren to shoot home his 17th league goal of the season from six yards.

Farren almost had a second goal when seeing his effort sail just over the bar after just over the bar after Molloy had set up a perfect opening.

Bray were rarely seen as an attacking force although 'keeper David Forde did well to punch away a David Tyrell cross after a rare mix-up in the visitors' defence. Then in the dying seconds of the first half midfielder Philip Keogh gave Bray some hope only to see his 22 yards shot go over the bar.

But soon it was Derry back on the attack with 'keeper O'Connor doing well to push an O'Flynn strike round the post on 56 minutes. Just two minutes later Derry stretched their lead and it was that man O'Flynn again.

Man of the Match McCourt produced moments of magic on the left when he rounded two Bray defenders and sent over an inch perfect cross for the always dangeous O'Flynn to head home at the near post.

And it was party time for 400 travelling Candystripes supporters when elegant midfielder Martyn added a third goal on 63 minutes when he swept the ball home after a Gareth McGlynn cross had taken a deflection off a Bray defender.

The only sour note of the night for Derry was when midfielder Molloy was shown the red card by Dublin referee Damien Hancock on 69 minutes for a foul on Michael Roche. That means he will miss Sunday week's' penultimate league game against St.Patrick's Athletic at the Brandywell.

Bray Wanderers: O'Connor; Long, Roche, Tresson, W.Tyrell (Ryan 73); McGuinness, Caffrey, Keogh, D.Tyrell (Georgescu 45); Fox, Kieran O'Brien.

Derry City: Forde; McCallion, Delaney, Hutton, Hargan; McGlynn, Martyn, Molloy, McCourt; O'Flynn (Cash 86), Farren (Murphy 89).