Alan Reynolds has challenged his Bohemians side to sign off the season with something for the Dalymount Park faithful to cheer about tomorrow when they host Galway United on the final day of the season.

The concession of an injury-time equaliser away to seventh-placed Waterford last week means the Gypsies can no longer catch Reynolds’ former club, with focus shifting to plans for the 2025 campaign.

Reynolds said: “It’s been a difficult season for the club. We know how frustrating and disappointing it has been for supporters. I know supporters are probably tired of hearing me say that, so we just want to end the season with something for them to cheer about as we look ahead to next year now.

“Work has already started on our plans for next season. We have a lot of work to do to make the improvements necessary to push on as a club.

“Players will obviously move on and we have identified the priority areas where we need to strengthen. We have big players coming back too.

“Before I came in, the club started off with Keith Buckley ruled out for the season and then lost Rob Cornwall on the opening night for the rest of the season too.

“As I mentioned before, losing players and personalities of that calibre was a massive blow. They are big players and leaders in really important positions so it’s been great to have them back training with the team over the past couple of weeks, alongside James McManus who really has had no luck this season with injuries either.

“All three of them are bursting to make up for lost time next season and we are really looking forward to working with them over the closed season and into pre-season.

“We also brought in players during the summer who I believe will push on now in the closed season with a proper pre-season working closely with us under their belt, and we have strong players with strong personalities coming back from injury now too.

“So despite the disappointment of this season, I feel we have a lot to work with here for next season, alongside the areas we have identified where we need to strengthen to push this club on to where it should be.”

Bohs come into tomorrow’s game frustrated once more after working hard to take the lead against Waterford at the RSC last Friday only to concede an injury-time equaliser.

There were positives from the game, however, with James Talbot making his first appearance of the season and U19 players Rhys Brennan and Markuss Strods making their league debuts as second-half substitutes.

Reynolds said: “The first half was a let-down and a bit of a non-event. The second half was night and day compared to the first, but I thought we were really good in the second half. We went ahead and we were disappointed not to hold on to the lead having led into injury-time.

“It was a great ball in from Dawson Devoy for our goal and a great header from James Clarke too, who it has to be said has been given a difficult task in a difficult season being asked to play as a striker. There’s a lot of pressure with that, and he has worked really hard in that role.

“Conceding late on having worked so hard to get ahead in the game has happened too often this season and is something we need to cut out of our game next season.

“We’ve drawn too many games we should have won and lost games we should have got something out of. We need players who have that ruthless streak when games are in the balance to get where we need to be as a club.

“So there was frustration at the end of the game but there were positives to take from it too. We were able to give league debuts to Rhys Brennan and Markuss Strods off the bench and bringing young quality players through who can make an impact for the first team will be crucial for us over the coming seasons.

“It’s something Bohs teams over the past decade have been really good at. You look at the likes of Ross Tierney and Dawson Devoy, who we brought back to the club in the summer. They are two of the best young midfielders in the league now, and they were given their break in the first team and a platform to show what they can do here at a young age having come through the academy teams.

“The same goes for Cian Byrne who has come into his own this season having been thrown in at the deep end.

“This club has a great track record of bringing players through and there’s a lot of work going on within the academy structures to ensure we get back to that, and that we improve on it. I think most people will be aware by now of the work going on to develop the Oscar Traynor Centre into a facility that can help develop the best young talent in the country.

“There have been big improvements already and we want to ensure that from there those players have pathways into the first team and to establish themselves as the likes of Dawson, Rossi, and players who have moved abroad to other leagues, did previously.

“That is what this club is building towards, and we want to see more of those players featuring regularly next season.

“The likes of Rhys and Markuss are very much a part of that. They are players with real potential and ones for the future.

“There are more like them and getting them in over the closed season, nurturing their potential they have and testing them at first-team level next season is a key part of how we want to develop and strengthen our squad, and build towards getting this club back to where it belongs.”

Team news

Bohemians will have the same squad to choose from as last week, with Rob Cornwall, Leigh Kavanagh, Ross Tierney, Keith Buckley, James McManus and James Akintunde all still unavailable for selection.

Alan Reynolds believes the double boost his Bohemians squad received this past week can drive them towards finishing the season on a high.

Bohs’ impressive 2-0 win away to Sligo Rovers last week ended fears that they could be dragged down into the relegation play-off spot.

While Bohs’ season fell far short of expectations, there was nonetheless a sense of relief among the players and travelling support that the club’s Premier Division status next season was put beyond doubt.

Bohs went into the game frustrated that their positive first-half performance the week previously counted for nothing as a saved penalty, sending-off and a wicked deflection for St Pat’s opener all contributed to a bruising 3-1 defeat.

They put that out of their heads heading west, however, and delivered the result that their performance deserved.

Reynolds said: “We all know our supporters are hurting this season, and in reality can’t wait for it to be over to draw a line under it.

“But despite that, the support we got in Sligo, as we have got on the road all season, didn’t go unnoticed. It was the same up in Derry a few weeks ago despite being knocked out of the cup by them a week previously.

“We had two or three hundred in the Showgrounds and they got right behind us from the get-go. I know it’s not easy for supporters after the season we have had to put that out of their heads and give the lads encouragement, but that’s what they did and it really helped.

“The chips were down and heads were low, we all know that. But everyone who went to Sligo, on and off the pitch, knew we all needed to pull in the same direction to get ourselves over the line and get the win we needed to put to bed any risk of us getting sucked into the play-off, and collectively we got the job done.

“It’s not where any of us or our fans want us to be, and I know people are probably tired of hearing that, but we went down there with our fans right behind us regardless. It meant a lot to the players, and there’s no denying there was a collective sense of relief at the end.

“None of us are celebrating where we are, but we obviously enjoyed the win and fed off the supporters at the end.

“I think it was a reminder to our players of what can be achieved, and replicating the energy we saw at the end of the game has to be something that motivates us in our last two games as we look to finish the year strongly and build towards next season.”

Avoiding the play-off spot was the first boost, the second came with the return of captain Keith Buckley, Rob Cornwall and James McManus to the training pitch this week.

The trio will sit the final two games out once more alongside Leigh Kavanagh, Ross Tierney and James Akintunde.

But Reynolds said: “To have the likes of Bucko, Rob and James back training with the squad gave the whole group another big lift.

“Any squad that loses players and personalities of their calibre for a whole season will suffer, and we certainly suffered in their absence this season. They’re not just good players, they are leaders and big personalities who influence players around them.

“Rehabilitation from serious injuries can be a long and lonely period for players so for them to get back in and among the lads this week was a massive positive for them and for all of the lads.

“They have worked so hard all year trying to get back to fitness and I can’t praise their commitment highly enough. They will be knuckling down hard over the closed season to hit the ground running next season too, and I have no doubt that they will have a huge impact for us when we finally have them back in the team.

“As well as those three big long-term injuries, again we have a lot of players out at the moment.

“But at this stage of the season we have to look as that as a positive opportunity for our younger players, so some of our U19s, Rhys Brennan, Seán Moore and Markuss Strods alongside Nickson Okosun, are in contention to feature in our squads for the final two games.

“They are really good quality prospects, so now is a good opportunity for them to be in and around first team training and to see what they are capable of transitioning to senior football.”

Team news

Bohemians are without Rob Cornwall, Leigh Kavanagh, Ross Tierney, Keith Buckley, James McManus and James Akintunde.

Alan Reynolds says Bohemians must channel their frustration to drive them over the line against Sligo Rovers tonight.

Bohs go into the game with their four-point lead on ninth-placed Drogheda United intact after Kevin Doherty’s side lost 1-0 to Shamrock Rovers last night.

Given Bohs’ superior goal difference, a win at the Showgrounds would ensure they avoid the play-off this season.

Reynolds said: “This isn’t where we want to be as a club but the most important thing for us right now is to do what is required to put us out of sight of the play-off.”

Supporters were left frustrated on Monday night when a really encouraging first-half performance against St Patrick’s Athletic ended up counting for nothing as they slumped to a 3-1 defeat.

But that didn’t tell the full story. In a season where Bohs haven’t had much luck, they certainly didn’t have any on Monday as a penalty save, a sending-off and a wicked deflection combined to see them unravel.

Reynolds said: “We were by far the better side in the first half, and we should have been ahead by at least a couple of goals, and obviously Dawson Devoy’s penalty was saved.

“The sending-off of Ross Tierney changed the game completely, and there was a wicked deflection for St Pat’s first goal.

“When you’re a goal down and only have 10 men, you can leave yourself exposed trying to get back into the game and that’s what happened.

“St Pat’s are the form team in the league for the past couple of months. It was their sixth win in a row but we were the better team until the sending-off and I felt that there were an awful lot of positives to take from our performance.

“It’s another defeat, and we’ve had far too many of them this season, particularly at home. Nobody is shying away from that.

“But what I will say is that we were excellent until those turning points, and the quality and intensity of our performance in the first half is exactly the standard we are striving for and want to maintain.”

Bohs have drawn, won and lost to Sligo across their three previous meeting this season, but Reynolds says his side are traveling to the Showgrounds this evening in confidence.

Reynolds added: “Sligo’s last two results have been draws against the top two in the league so there is no doubt that they are a good side but we are going there in confidence too.

“There’s a frustration among the players that our first half performance against St Pat’s counted for nothing so we need to use that frustration to drive us forward against Sligo.

“We’ve gone to the Showgrounds and won this season and they’ve come to Dalymount and won this season so I expect another open game with both sides going for it.”

Team news

Ross Tierney is suspended, while Bohemians continue to be without the injured Leigh Kavanagh, James Akintunde, James McManus, Rob Cornwall and Keith Buckley. Martin Miller has returned from international duty with Estonia.

Alan Reynolds says he was pleased with the reaction of his players away to Derry City on Friday but says they need to build on that when the league’s in-form side St Patrick’s Athletic come to Dalymount Park tomorrow night.

Bohs went to the Brandywell two days ago to take on Derry City on the back of a bruising 2-0 Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup semi-final defeat against the same opposition a week previously.

Reynolds’ side played some good stuff in the first half, with a neat finish from Archie Meekison after 20 minutes giving them a deserved lead.

They were pegged back by Pat Hoban just after the hour-mark, but Reynolds was pleased with how his players responded after a difficult week.

Reynolds said: “It was a real game of two halves and ultimately I was pleased with our performances in both halves for different reasons.

“In the first half, I was pleased because we showed real quality. Having played the same side on our home patch a week previously, I was deeply frustrated with that performance and how despite having so much possession, we failed to test their keeper.

“But I think in the first half we showed we have quality, and we showed we are capable of putting it up to top teams.

“In the second half, I was pleased with the players for a different reason. I was pleased because they showed a grit and determination that has too often eluded us this season. Derry came after us and they have real quality in their team to do so, but I felt that we battled for everything.

“Ultimately on another day it’s a game we could have won. Derry should have had a man sent off and with that I think we would have had enough about us to win the game.

“In isolation it is a good result. The Brandywell has always been a difficult place for any team to get a result so we are pleased to get a result.

“But it’s also another draw for us where I feel we could have won the game. That’s our tenth draw in the league this season and when we look back we know we have left a lot of points behind us in games we were capable of winning.

“That has been one of the disappointing aspects of this season, that we have had a platform in games where we are right in it to win but haven’t had enough about us to put teams away.”

Friday’s result, coupled with Drogheda United’s 0-0 draw away to Waterford, maintained Bohs’ four-point gap ahead of ninth place.

But standing in their way of extending that advantage tomorrow night is a St Patrick’s Athletic team unbeaten in the league since July and who have won their last five games.

Former Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has overseen a total turnaround in fortunes since a shaky start to his reign. Qualification for Europe is now within their grasp, and they are already being tipped as contenders for next season.

Reynolds added: “Listen they are a quality side. I expect an entertaining game, and I expect it to be open.

“They’re in the hunt for Europe and will be coming here with their tails up after a brilliant run. We know where we are at in the table, so we need to build on the positives of Friday and give absolutely everything of ourselves again.”

Team news

Bohemians continue to be without the injured Leigh Kavanagh, James Akintunde, James McManus, Rob Cornwall and Keith Buckley, while Martin Miller is available once more.

Alan Reynolds says Bohemians are going to have to give absolutely everything of themselves on and off the pitch to get past Derry City in their Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup semi-final tomorrow.

Beaten finalists in 2021 and 2023, Bohs go into the game looking to salvage their season with a date at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday November 10 against Drogheda United or Wexford on offer for tomorrow’s victors.

But despite being at home at Dalymount Park, the bookies have Reynolds’ side as the underdogs for this last-four tie against Ruaidhrí Higgins’ Candystripes who, just four points off table-toppers Shelbourne, are very much eyeing up a league and cup double.

Reynolds: “There is no doubting the size of the challenge ahead of us. Derry on their day are the best team in the league so, to a man, we will have to give absolutely everything of ourselves.

“We haven’t had the season we want in the league, so this is a massive opportunity for us to achieve something this year.

“This is where we want to be, and want to be regularly; in high-pressure games against the best teams in the league with prizes on the line. That is what we are all working towards and we have to seize the opportunity that is in front of us tomorrow.

“To do that we need to be at our very best from the first whistle. Against a team as good as Derry, we need to be ruthless in possession, in winning back possession, and show a killer instinct in front of goal that has evaded us too often this season.

“Our players go into this game with that determination. We know how good Derry are but we have shown that when we are at our very best, and have that vocal backing of our supporters, that we are capable of beating the best teams in this league.

“In the first round of this competition we were underdogs against Shamrock Rovers and with our players and supporters pulling together in the right direction, we pulled through.

“That’s the level we need tomorrow, and more again. We need everyone on and off the pitch giving everything of ourselves.

“We need Dalymount hopping, because as we have seen before, that can be the difference in games of such high intensity like this.”

Bohs come into this game having got back to winning ways against Oriel Park last week. Coming on the back of frustrating 1-0 defeats to Drogheda United and Shamrock Rovers, that victory was important to lift the mood ahead of tomorrow’s semi-final but also to maintain the four-point gap between ninth-placed Drogs.

After a disappointing first half, Bohs looked a different side in the second with a super strike from Dawson Devoy settling nerves as Reynolds’ men ended up comfortable 2-0 winners.

He added: “We weren’t happy with our first half performance, Dundalk shaded it and had chances. The pitch didn’t help us but we still needed to be better. As I said after the game, we rode our luck but maybe we were due a slice of luck.

“I felt that we were much improved in the second half. Dawson’s goal was a moment of real quality that set the tone, and we could and probably should have won by more in the end.

“We needed that win. Where we are in the table, we need to maintain that gap ahead of Drogheda as they have shown what they are capable of over the last few weeks and months, but it was a needed lift heading into tomorrow’s game too.”

Team news

Jordan Flores returns but James Akintunde, Leigh Kavanagh and Alex Greive are doubts. James McManus, Rob Cornwall and Keith Buckley remain out.