“THIS CAN BE A SPRINGBOARD FOR A REALLY BIG WEEK”

BOHEMIANS v BRAY WANDERERS
SSE Airtricity League, Dalymount Park, Friday 5 September, 7.45pm

Bohemians welcome Bray Wanderers to Dalymount, determined to widen the six-point gap between them in the league table.

A win over Bray would effectively rule out relegation for Bohemians, according to manager Owen Heary. It could also be a springboard for “a really big week for the club”, with a league match away to Sligo and a cup quarter-final against St Patrick’s Athletic.

“We want to finish as high as we can. If we end up higher than, say, Drogheda and Limerick, it’s a good season for us. If we get to a cup final, it’s a great season,” said Heary.

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The Seagulls come to Friday’s game with just one win in the league in 14 matches. But that victory came last week against UCD and Heary knows Bray will give them a fight.

“They’ll be looking at this game and saying, if they win, they’re only a couple of points off us, though we have games in hand.

“We have to keep our heads on. Bray will be missing a few players but we mustn’t start to think, ‘This will be easy’.”

Games against Bray have marked important turning points for Bohemians this season and last. Heary started his tenure as Bohemian manager with a 3-1 victory in Bray in July 2013.

A 5-0 win at the Carlisle Grounds in June was Bohs’ best result of this season and started a run of seven leagues matches unbeaten in nine.

Dinny Corcoran scored a hat-trick in that match and last week he kept up his impressive strike record with a “another cracking goal” against league leaders Dundalk.

“Facing Dundalk with some key players missing, the lads put in a tremendous performance. We just got a bit tired in the last 15 minutes,” said Heary.

“We have shown we’re capable of giving anyone a good game on the day. If we lose and we have given it everything, like last week, we’ll hold up our hands say, ‘Fair enough’.

“The pleasing thing for me is that the players came off disappointed, and that shows you how far we have come. They’re coming off saying they should have got something from the game.”

Dave Mulcahy returns for Friday but Steven Beattie (suspension) must sit out one more match. Anto Murphy (ankle) and Dan Byrne (cruciate) remain on the long-term injury list.

After three matches in eight days, Bohemians face into seven games over a month but Heary is proud of how his squad have faced the rigours of league and cup campaigns. “It’s a tough schedule but the lads have stood up well to it.”

Former Bray icon Jason Byrne has played consecutive games and “he’s enjoying it”, according to his long-time associate, Heary. “He’s playing with a smile on his face and I’m sure he’ll start hitting the net again.”

With the glut of matches Heary expects to use his full squad. But the younger players who are also in the senior squad now have a new under-19 campaign starting this week.

Former Drogheda United manager Robbie Horgan took over this week from Bobby Browne as under-19 manager. “I want to thank Bobby for everything he has done for the club and to wish Robbie and the under-19s the very best of luck for this season,” said Heary.

Pic by Eddie Lennon – eddielennonsportingimages.com

“WE’LL TAKE THE GAME TO THEM”

DUNDALK v BOHEMIANS
SSE Airtricity League, Oriel Park, Friday 29 August, 7.45pm

Having dismissed Cork City from the FAI Cup Bohemians can now do the same club a favour by holding league leaders Dundalk in check on Friday.

Bohemians follow one tough assignment with another when they face Dundalk, unbeaten at home in the league this season. But they travel with the memory of a 1-1 draw in Dundalk in March.

Manager Owen Heary is relishing the challenge, only regretting that he does not have a full squad to choose from.

“I’d love to play them with a full-strength team but I still feel confident enough to go up and get a result. We want to go and win the game.

“There’s nothing expected of us going to Dundalk but we’re definitely going to take the game to them.”

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Defenders Dan Byrne (cruciate) and Anto Murphy (ankle) are likely to miss the rest of the season. Steven Beattie is suspended and captain Dave Mulcahy has personal commitments that keep him out.

So, four players who have played key roles in keeping Bohemians solid in defence and in midfield are missing. Heary notes that it is the platform that these and other players have built that has made it possible for forward players to shine in recent weeks.

“I’m delighted for Dinny [Corcoran] that he got the goals against Cork because he has had shots off the crossbar and he has kept going and got his just rewards over the weekend.

“But it’s not just about the forward players, it’s also about the defensive line and the keeper who keep us in the game. The whole lot, they work as a unit. You can see our forwards and our wingers chasing back and tackling, our full-backs getting forward, our central midfield being strong and aggressive.”

Heary is full of his admiration for his players and how they are taking on each battle in full solidarity with each other, filling in wherever they are needed.

“Against Cork last Friday we had Keith Buckley at right full and Steven Beattie at left full, and they were both excellent.

“If you look at the team as a whole, they have got better and they have worked for each other, and all we can ask is that they do this, week in and week out.

“Dan Byrne came to Monday’s game after working a night shift, Derek Pender had a child sick, Dean Delany is working early as a postman. They all still put in a shift for us.

“They have created this themselves, that they work so hard for each other. I admire them for how they go out and put a performance in, week after week, with so much else happening in their lives.”

With his forces depleted Heary is looking for yet another strong performance on Friday and for others in the squad to step up. Ryan McEvoy, who has featured little this season and has recently had a back injury, may be called on.

“I know what he’s capable of doing. When he came on in a couple of games he’s shown he is back to where he was. He is one with a point to prove and he may get to do that on Friday.”

“We live to fight another day”

BOHEMIANS v CORK CITY
FAI Ford Cup third round replay, Dalymount Park, Monday 25 August, 7.45pm

Bohemians and Cork City renew acquaintances on Monday night in an FAI Ford Cup third round replay at Dalymount Park following Friday’s end-to-end 2-2 draw at Turner’s Cross.

Owen Heary’s side twice took the lead through Dinny Corcoran only to be pegged back on both occasions, with Dan Murray’s 88-minute equaliser ensuring the sides would meet again.

“We were disappointed not to hang on having gone 2-1 up with six minutes to go but I was very pleased with the performance,” said Heary.

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“We were down bodies but the lads who came in did very well. Steven Beattie came in at left-back and Keith Buckley at right-back. Both of them put in really good shifts.

“We created a lot of chances and went close to extending our lead several times but Dinny took both of his goals very well.

“We should have won the game but we live to fight another day.”

With Dalymount Park passing an FAI pitch inspection this morning, Heary is expecting another cup classic and hopes his team can build upon recent improvements in home form.

“It was a great game on Friday, a typical cup tie with really good passing football from both teams,” he said.

“Both sides know each other well now, so hopefully we’ll see more of the same. There are tired legs but it’s the same for both teams.

“We’ve done well in our home games recently, so it’s up to the lads to turn good performances into victories.”

Bohemians welcome Roberto Lopes (suspension) and Derek Pender (work commitments) back into the squad, but Ryan McEvoy is a doubt with a back strain. Anto Murphy (ankle) remains out. Steven Beattie is suspended.

“A MOMENT OF MADNESS OR A MOMENT OF GENIUS”

CORK CITY v BOHEMIANS
FAI Ford Cup Rd 3, Turner’s Cross, Friday 22 August,  7.45pm

Bohemians go to Cork with a draw and a win this season against Friday’s FAI Cup opponents. And they go determined to crown this league record with a victory that would take them into the last eight of the cup.

Manager Owen Heary says his team takes confidence from the results against Cork. “But, on the other side, Cork will be well up for it, particularly as we beat them in Dalymount.

“They’re a good team, a strong, physical team. They’re up at the top of the table on merit and they will have massive support down there.

“But cup games can go any way. They can be decided by a moment of madness or a moment of genius.”

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Heary insists his side is not one to play for a draw and a replay – not least because Bohemians face a very busy league programme with two postponed matches to be rescheduled.

“We’re part-time, with a lot of lads who work night-times or early mornings. It’s going to be Friday and Monday games for a while and we’ve a lot of tough games coming up.”

The postponement of Monday’s league match brought no gain to Bohemians, said Heary.

“We were looking forward to the game. The players were ready to go, particularly after the result on Friday [2-1 against Drogheda United]. They were well set up for the game.

“I’m sure we would have given them a good game and possibly come away with the points.”

However, the extra days without a match have given defender Derek Pender more time to recover from a bout of flu, and striker Dinny Corcoran more time to recover from a knock received last Friday.

Steven Beattie is available for the Cork cup-tie, although his sending-off against Drogheda United rules him out of the next two league games. He will return to right-back in the absence of Anto Murphy (ankle injury), while Pender moves to left back. Roberto Lopes is suspended (yellow cards) and Jack Memery is still tied up with college exams.

Heary says his squad is training like a group of players who sense they can get something tangible from the season, whether it’s qualification for the Setanta Cup or an FAI Cup winner’s medal, or even both.

“The cup is important for us. We got beaten in the semi-final of another competition. If we can finish on a cup final this year, it will be a tremendous achievement.

“But we don’t want to be just a cup team. If we win our two league games in hand, we will shoot up the table.

“If we do get to the cup final, it could be a passage to Europe and it’s a medal for the players. That has to be an incentive for the players, that they have something in the hand at the end of the season to show for their hard work.”

Pic by Eddie Lennon – eddielennonsportingimages.com

“WE’LL CONCENTRATE ON TRYING TO GET THREE POINTS”

BOHEMIANS v SHAMROCK ROVERS
SSE Airtricity League, Dalymount Park, Monday 18 August, 7.45pm

Bohemians’ derby with Shamrock Rovers brings the first clash between Owen Heary and Pat Fenlon as managers. The two fought side-by-side over many years for Bohemians and Shelbourne. Now, they are scrapping for points from each other, writes BRIAN TRENCH.

Heary expects his old boss to bring a winning mentality to his new charges. “Pat is a winner in my eyes. He’ll look to get European football at least and maybe to get his hands on a trophy.

“He’s the best manager around and he will make it a tough test for us.”

Bohemians come to Monday’s game looking for their third successive home win in the league. Friday’s 2-1 victory over Drogheda United was “definitely deserved”, according to Heary.

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“We had a few chances that we missed but we won with two very good goals and, more importantly, we got the three points.”

The goal-scorers, Karl Moore and Jason Byrne (pictured), had been on the bench more often than starting in recent weeks, and Heary is delighted how they and Dave Mulcahy took their responsibilities when they were called up.

“They’re three experienced players and it was great to see how they stepped up to the plate.”

The EA Sports Cup tie two weeks ago, when Shamrock Rovers beat Bohemians 2-0 at Dalymount, has little bearing on Monday’s match, Heary believes.

“It will be a totally different game, with different teams out. We’ll put that earlier result out of our minds. That was a cup game, a one-off, and we’ll concentrate on trying to get the three points.”

Those points would help bring Bohemians towards a finishing position in the top half of the league. “If we win and other results go for us we’re right back in the hunt for a Setanta Cup spot, and that’s the aim for us for the rest of the season,” said Heary.

But Bohemians are struggling with injuries and suspensions, particularly affecting their defence. Anto Murphy (ankle) is likely to be out for 6-7 weeks. Derek Pender was battling flu when he played on Friday and Steven Beattie, who was drafted into the back line on Friday, is suspended following his sending-off. Left-back Jack Memery is ruled out due to exams.

Roberto Lopes is suspended for accumulated yellow cards. However, his midfield partner of recent weeks, Eoin Wearen, returns from his one-match suspension. Dinny Corcoran took a knock against Drogheda United, but should be fit for selection.

Pic by Eddie Lennon – eddielennonsportingimages.com

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