REPORT: UCD 2 – BOHEMIANS 2
October 7, 2012
After a horrific start at the Belfield Bowl on Friday night, Bohemians got out of jail as two injury-time goals from supersub Dave Scully salvaged a point, Robert O’Reardon reports.
Down to 10 men and two goals behind after 22 minutes, things appeared ominous for Aaron Callaghan’s faltering young side.
UCD, who had won five of their last six league games, started off brightly with the away side looking a group lacking confidence after winning just twice in the the league since the teams met at Dalymount Park in July.
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A long ball from the hosts went over the head of Kevin Feely, who looked to have the situation under control before slipping under pressure from Danny Ledwith.
The quick-footed Ledwith stole in to take the ball off Feely’s toes and fell to the ground himself after a clumsy challenge just outside the box from the 20-year-old defender.
Referee Seán Grant adjudged the Kildare man’s foul to have prevented a goal-scoring opportunity and had no hesitation in giving the fuming youngster his marching orders.
To compound Bohs’ misery, Ledwith dispatched the resultant free-kick past Greg Murray in the Bohemian goal to give the hosts an early lead.
Things went from bad to worse for the Gypsies as they went 2-0 behind 14 minutes later.
Paul O’Conor was pulling the strings for the Students in the middle of the field, and it was the 25-year-old who struck the second blow as his speculative effort found the net thanks to a wicked deflection.
The ball bobbled around on the edge of the box before O’Conor struck a low shot, which looked to be heading away from danger until Evan McMillan stuck out his leg to divert it past the flat-footed Murray.
John O’Connor came close to getting Bohs back in the game after 27 minutes. The striker, 20, was well positioned at the back post to meet Karl Moore’s cross but his faint touch saw the ball flash wide.UCD then went looking for the vital third and O’Conor’s midfield partner Barry McCabe nearly put the game to bed with a long-range effort that flashed wide of Murray’s left-hand post.
Moments later, Callaghan opted to shuffle his pack as Derek Pender came on in place of O’Connor.
The change failed to halt the Students’ blitzing of Murray’s goal in the second half, however. O’Conor was dangerous from long range and the inexperienced Murray, 19, did well to keep the scoreline down to 2-0.
Dave Mulcahy, Pender and Scully all went close to getting Bohs back into the game. Yet as the clock ticked ticked towards the full-time whistle, it looked like it was going to be the Students’ night.Callaghan used his final two rolls of the dice on 66 minutes as Moore and Kevin Devaney were sacrificed for Scully and Dinny Corcoran. And it was the former who proved to be the hero of the day.
But as the fourth official signaled there was to be three minutes’ injury-time, ex-Monaghan United man Scully found himself running through on goal after a superb through ball.
He composed himself and fired home past Ger Barron from the edge of the area.
Too little, too late? So it seemed. But a hopeful punt up the field from Bohs skipper Owen Heary saw Michael Leahy nearly head past his own keeper in the dying embers.
But it was supersub Scully again, this time from Ryan McEvoy’s placed ball, who was on hand to head home a late and unlikely leveler.The ball went out for a corner and Murray and his glistening silver jersey joined in on one last Bohemian attack.
Next up for the Gypsies is an away trip to Oriel Park to take on Dundalk on Saturday week.
Originally due to host Monaghan United this Friday, after a busy campaign, the Bohs players can take a breather this weekend due to the Mons’ unfortunate demise.
UCD: Barron; Douglas (Russell, 82), Leahy, O’Connor, Nangle; Clarke (Mulhall, 72), O’Conor, McCabe (Kavanagh, 59), Ledwith; Benson; McMillan.
BOHEMIANS: Murray; Heary, Feely, Lopez; Barker, McEvoy, Mulcahy, O’Connor (Pender, 28), Moore (Scully, 64); McMillan, Devaney (Corcoran, 64).
MAN OF THE MATCH: Dave Scully.
