GYPSIES HIT THE SPOT

BOHEMIANS 2 UCD 2
(AET, Bohemians won 5-3 on penalties)

Penalties needed to separate Bohemians and UCD with Colin McCabe emerging the hero for the home side in a wonderfully entertaining cup game at a rainy Dalymount Park.

Despite mother nature’s best effort to give the players a day off the game went ahead and those who braved the elements weren’t disappointed as the cracking encounter unfolded.

It was 10 changes for Bohs in all, with Dan Casey the lone survivor from Friday night’s defeat to Dundalk. Collie O’Neill made just the one change for the visitors with Yoyo Mahdy replacing Kevin Coffey.

A quite subdued start, saw the more experienced visitors dominate possession, without creating too much in front of goal and on the break Bohs had the first real effort of note. Dylan Watts, sporting a questionable new blonde hairdo, played a delightful ball into the path of JJ Lunney inside the full back. The left winger’s powerful effort was well pushed away by Conor Kearns after 11 minutes.

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Just as the home side began growing into the game UCD hit them with a sucker punch. Daire O’Connor’s lovely slide rule ball inside Jamie Hamilton at left back to Yoyo Mahdy and in turn, the winger finished smartly across McCabe into the far corner.

The Students made it two nil just after the half hour mark, again catching Bohs on the break. Skipper Gary O’Neill bending a spectacular right footed curler into the top corner from Georgie Kelly’s clever back heel lay off.

Eoghan Stokes looked the best attacking option for the home side stinging the palms of Kearns on a couple occasions as Bohs tried to claw their way back into the tie.

Bohs started the second half much sharper and got themselves back into the game with a well taken finish from the aforementioned Stokes. Danny Grant, who had an excellent game, played a lovely weighted pass into the right channel and the Bohs striker finished well across the body of Kearns.

The Gypsie’s began getting at the backline of the visitors much easier as the game progressed with right winger Grant becoming a huge threat with his pace and direct running with the ball. Just before the hour mark, JJ Lunney spurned a glorious chance to equalise inside the box as his volley sailed high and over.

Despite the pressure mounting from the Gypsie’s, Colin McCabe was called into action on a couple of occasions saving bravely from both O’Connor and Kelly who got themselves into one on one positions.

Bohs got the deserved equaliser with less than 10 minutes to go. Grant showed spectacular pace to get around Darragh Corcoran at the end line and was hauled down by the defender inside the box. Up stepped JJ Lunney to coolly send Kearns the wrong way to make it 2-2 and send the tie into extra time.

Extra time was a lethargic affair for both sets of players as the heavy pitch began to take its toll. Both teams had half chances from distance the home side looking most likely to get the winner.

Colin McCabe was the penalty shootout hero saving low to his left from Paul Doyle as Bohs won the shootout 5-3 with Eoghan Stokes scoring the decisive spot kick to send his side into the next round.

Bohemian FC: Colin McCabe, Dan Casey, Philip Gannon, Danny Grant, JJ Lunney, Jamie Hamilton, John Ross Wilson, Patrick Kirk, Dylan Watts, Rob Manley, Eoghan Stokes

Subs: Sean Bohan, Andy Lyons, Dylan Thornton, Ryan Graydon, Cian McMullen, Mitch Byrne, Luke Nolan

UCD: Conor Kearns, Dan Tobin, Macim Kouogun, Josh Collins, Daire O’Connor, Gary O’Neill, Yoyo Mahdy, Timmy Molloy, Jason McClelland, Liam Scales, Georgie Kelly

Subs: Carl Williams, Sean McDonald, Conor Crowley, Kevin Coffey, Darragh Corcoran, Paul Doyle, Ben Hanrahan

Referee: Derek Tomney

5-STAR BOHS

BOHEMIANS 5 CABINTEELY 1

In what was a welcome distraction from their current league form, for both sides, Bohs played host to a Cabinteely side also looking to kickstart their season.

As expected, there was a raft of changes for both sides, the visitors making nine changes and Bohs fielding a completely different 11 to the side that beat Bray Wanderers Friday night.

The game started at a frenetic pace with players eager to impress, with both teams having great chances to take the lead inside the first two minutes. Daniel Grant, who looked impressive on the right wing throughout, broke through the Cabinteely rearguard and from just outside the penalty area, couldn’t generate much power behind his left footed strike on the stretch.

The visitors immediately went up the other end and Michael Scott almost took advantage of some sloppy defending, dragging his low effort inches wide of the far post.

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With just nine minutes on the clock Sean Fitzpatrick made himself a hero at both ends. Firstly, clearing off the line from Rob Manley, who followed up a spill by Stephen McGuiness. Almost immediately, the big centre half went up the other end and powered home a header at the back post to give the visitors the lead.

Bohs came to life in the 37th minute when man of the match Daniel Grant burst down the right wing, beating Broderick and was eventually brought down by Kieron Butler in the area. Up stepped Dylan Watts, and what seems to be a reoccurring theme at Dalymount, the penalty was well saved by McGuiness. This time, however, Watts reacted quickest to head home the rebound.

Just a minute later, that man again Grant broke the offside trap and raced clear through on goal, but was unlucky to see his effort come back off the post to the grateful feet of Rob Manley to tap home.

The Gypsies weren’t done there, just before half time they made it three with Manley tapping home his second from a beautifully worked corner kick routine played across the box.

Bohs dominated the second half as the pace dropped off and just after the hour mark made it 4-1 with a wonder strike. Daniel Grant, who was outstanding on the night, got the goal his performance deserved scoring brilliantly from all of 40 yards, side footing a looping volley over keeper McGuiness’ who only half cleared.

The host’s went on to make it five – one when Dylan Watts netted his second of the evening, cleverly touching the ball one side of Fitzpatrick and racing around the other. The midfielder showed great composure to slot the ball to the far corner with his right foot as Bohs safely cruised into the next round.

Bohemian FC: Colin McCabe, Dan Byrne, Philip Gannon, Keith Ward, Daniel Grant, JJ Lunney, Jamie Hamilton, John Ross Wilson, Paddy Kirk, Dylan Watts, Rob Manley

Subs: Sean Bohan, Steven Nolan, Dylan Thornton, Cian McMullen, Mitchell Byrne, Luke Nolan, Ryan Graydon

Cabinteely FC: Stephen McGuiness, Karl Byrne, Jamie Broderick, Sean Fitzpatrick, Kieron Butler, Eoghan Morgan, Anthony Dolan, Luke Clukas, Paul Fox, Kaleem Simon, Michael Scott

Subs: Finn McGowan, Jack Hudson, Kyle Hogan, Keith Dalton, Brandon Perry, Jack Tuite, Stephen Ball

Referee: Derek Tomney

 

SMASH AND GRAB

BOHEMIANS 2 BRAY WANDERERS 1

Dinny Corcoran was the hero as his 91st minute winner broke the hearts of the visiting Bray Wanderers fans and players, who will count themselves unlucky not to get anything from the game.

The game started at a rip roaring pace with goals inside the first five minutes. A bullet header from Daniel Kelly gave the visitors the dream start but was cancelled out almost immediately by a rocket from Ian Morris from all of 30+ yards. The Bohs midfielder, with his second in a week, caught his left footed effort beautifully as it flew into the side netting giving Aaron Dillon no chance.

It was all Bohs from then on with Dinny Corcoran setting up both Eoghan Stokes and Oscar Brennan to have efforts from the edge of the box that missed the target by inches, if even.

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The Seagulls responded well to the pressure as the game began to go from end to end. Shane Supple was forced into one of the saves of the season from Darragh Noone’s flick header as the Bohs stopper at full stretch, showed cat like reflexes to tip the effort around the post with some of the Bray players almost celebrating.

Bohs seemed to have the better of possession as the half wore on but Bray, who must have looked unrecognizable to the side who started the season with just one point, as Gary McCabe and Aaron Greene looked a real threat up front.

The two Kelly’s combined well for the visitors at the start of the second half as ex-Bohs man Jake Kelly, cut back well to the onrushing namesake Daniel who was unable to keep his volley down.

Keith Long, in a bid to freshen and liven things up, replaced Eoghan Stokes with Keith Ward as Bray began to edge on top despite any real clear cut chances at either end.

The second half was in stark contrast to the entertaining, free flowing first half as the game turned into a gritty, scrappy affair as both teams searched for the winner.

As the minutes trickled down and a goal didn’t appear to be on the horizon, amongst the home fans frustration, “IT” happened.

Dinny Corcoran made himself the hero following good link up play with Ward, who played it cleverly out to the right hand side of the box after attracting all the Bray rearguard to the ball. Corcoran kept his composure to hammer a low drive into the far bottom corner as pandemonium ensued around Dalymount.

Bohemian FC: Shane Supple, Darragh Leahy, Dan Casey, Rob Cornwall, Karl Moore, Dinny Corcoran, Paddy Kavanagh, Oscar Brennan, Keith Buckley, Ian Morris, Eoghan Stokes

Subs: Colin McCabe, Dan Byrne, Philip Gannon, Keith Ward, Kevin Devaney, JJ Lunney, Dylan Watts

Bray Wanderers: Aaron Dillon, Hugh Douglas, Kevin Lynch, Conor Kenna, Sean Heaney, John Sullivan, Aaron Greene, Jake Kelly, Daniel Kelly, Gary McCabe, Darragh Noone

Subs: Evan Moran, Paul O’Conor, Ger Pender, Dylan Hayes, Rhys Gorman, Calvin Rogers, Ronan Coughlan

Referee: Rob Rogers

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