But, as is often the case at this level, if you don’t punish your opposition when you’re on top, you are susceptible to being punished. And that’s exactly what happened with 24 minutes played. Alistair Coote’s speculative drive took a wicked deflection off Dan Casey and slipped through the arms of Stephen McGuinness. They Gypsies did have a warning just prior to the opener, as Tyreke Wilson had a powerful effort well parried away.

John Martin was next to have a go from distance and smashed the cross bar as Bohs struggled to regain their composure and regain the upper hand. Disaster struck right on the stroke of halftime, the visitors doubled their lead when left back, Wilson curled in a beautiful free kick from slightly right of the area. And as a half that started so brightly for the home side, ended miserably, and now faced an uphill battle in the second half

As expected Bohs dominated possession after the break but struggled to break down a resolute Waterford rearguard. It took until just after the hour mark for Bohs to muster a meaningful effort, with player of the month, Grant cheating the ball down and quickly hit left footed volley from the edge of the area, But unfortunately was straight down the throat of Murphy.

The visitors continued to carry a threat though, and while looking comfortable without the ball, had chances to add to their tally. Wilson hit the foot of the post with another excellent free kick from a similar position to his goal and Martin had a back post header hit the post and bounce away from goal.

With the game slowly drifting away, boss Keith Long looked to freshen things with the introduction of Promise Omochere and Keith Ward. The new faces brought about immediate impact forcing a spate of corners, one of which brought a goal mouth scramble that was brilliantly defended by Murphy and co.

Dan Casey had a late header just miss the near post, but unfortunately for Keith Long and his troops just couldn’t force the breakthrough against a stubborn and very organised Waterford defence.

Next up for The Gypsies is a tough away trip to in-form Sligo Rovers, with a massive three points on offer in the race for European football next season.

Bohemian FC: Stephen McGuinness, Andy Lyons, James Finnerty, Dan Casey, Anto Breslin, Keith Buckley, JJ Lunney (50’ Conor Levingston), Daniel Mandroiu (77’ Keith Ward), Kris Twardek, Danny Grant (77’ Promise Omochere), Andre Wright (70’ Glen McCauley)

Subs: James Talbot, Ciaran Kelly, Conor Levingston, Dawson Devoy, Keith Ward, Promise Omochere, Glen McCauley

Waterford FC: Brian Murphy, Jake Davidson, Tyreke Wilson, Robert Weir, Alistair Coote, Michael O’Connor (69’ Dean Walsh), Matthew Smith, John Martin (82’ Niall O’Keefe), Robbie McCourt, Kurtis Byrne, Oluwatunmise Sobowate

Subs: Tadhg Ryan, Dean Walsh, Darragh Power, Alex Phelan, William Fitzgerald, Paul Martin, Niall O’Keefe

“The second period was better from us. We had longer periods of possession and created some opportunities.

“Again, we had a clear-cut penalty denied by the referee and if that’s given we could have come away with a point from the game without playing well.

“We need to be better than a bad refereeing performance, however, and Saturday was a missed opportunity for us.”

They will look to put that right when Waterford are the visitors to Dalymount Park this evening.

Long said: “Waterford will be full of confidence after a convincing win last Friday at home to St Pat’s.

“They have some exciting players and have proved difficult opponents for us since their return to the Premier Division.

“We expect nothing different from them this evening and as always we will have to be at our very best in order to get a result and to bounce back from last week’s defeat.”

TEAM NEWS

Rob Cornwall (ankle) is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks.

For the 2020 season we co-launched our away jersey alongside MASI and Amnesty International, with 10% profits going to support Direct Provision residents.

To build upon this, we set aside and publicised a week of sales in June with 100% of profits to MASI, which received tremendous support and resulted in €10,000 being raised.

Given the difficulties facing Direct Provision residents who now need to access education remotely due to Covid-19, we decided to use these funds to purchase 35 laptop computers.

This will enable people in the most difficult conditions to continue with their education and improve their lives.

MASI coordinator Lucky Khambule said: “We at the Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland are delighted to be part of this project with Bohs.

“The restrictions with Covid-19 meant that a lot of people in Direct Provision were left with nothing to do and could not continue with their studies.

“The introduction of laptops will go a long way to support virtual learning for students in Direct Provision.

“Today we are happy that our continuous collaboration with Bohemians in support of those living in Direct Provision and mostly in support of our campaign for the system to be ended once and for all, continue to grow stronger.

“Education is our priority for international protection applicants, and we thank Bohemians supporters and all who purchased this jersey for their support.”

Sibanda and Moyr joined Grant as he collected his SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland gong.

He is the first Bohs player to win it this season following on from team-mates Dinny Corcoran, James Talbot and Danny Mandroiu who all won the monthly award in 2019.

The 20-year-old has been a key man for Keith Long’s side, particularly since the restart of the season, and his form saw him called up, alongside Mandroiu, by Jim Crawford for the Ireland U21s’ recent training camp.

The winger, who came through Bohs’ U19s, netted goals in recent wins against Finn Harps and Dundalk.

He said: “I’m absolutely buzzing with the award. Goals were something that I needed to add to my game.

“I spoke to Keith and Trevor Croly at the start of the year and both agreed that my performances were good but that my end product could be better.

“We’ve worked hard over the break, doing a lot of crossing and finishing. I don’t think I was getting into the right areas enough so they also helped me with my positioning.”

Tomorrow, Bohs look to bounce back from last week’s frustrating Dublin derby defeat against Shamrock Rovers when Waterford are the visitors to Dalymount Park, which leaves them in second place and five points behind the Tallaght side.

Grant added: “We can only look after ourselves. That’s the message from our coaches and we won’t be paying attention to anybody else.

“We’re just aiming to bounce back against Waterford after the loss last week, so that’s all we are concentrating on right now.”

In October 1893 Hussey was elected secretary – yet again – of a non-sporting organisation. This was the newly founded Eclectic Club of which Hamilton P. Bell was record secretary and treasurer and the president was W.B. Yeats. The club hosted debates and talks at meeting rooms in O’Connell Street with sometimes provocative topics.

In October 1893 Hamilton Bell was a speaker for Yes in debates on the question, Were the Irish right in supporting James II?, and Should Railways be a State Monopoly? In November 1893, Bell was in the chair for a debate on the motion, That the character of Cromwell should command admiration; this was voted 12:11 in favour. This rather eccentric involvement in current affairs may indicate that these Bohemian FC stalwarts were also somewhat bohemian in nature.

While working in the Prisons Service at Dublin Castle in 1903 the Bell, now 30, came to the attention of Detective Richard Revell, who had observed him in the company of ‘suspects’. Revell later reported, however, that Bell was keeping himself to himself, teaching Irish classes in Phibsborough on four evenings a week.

After Independence, he worked in the Department of Justice up to his retirement in 1936. He died in 1953, aged 81, and was living at that time in Monkstown, Co. Dublin. His older brother, Samuel C. had died in 1916, when he was a tutor at the Royal University, single, and living in Ballybough.

Hamilton P. had two sons and a daughter; one son, Desmond, was called to the Bar alongside his brother-in-law Vincent Grogan, later Supreme Knight in the Knights of Columbanus. Both were well-known senior counsel, and Desmond Bell stood unsuccessfully as a Fine Gael Dáil candidate in Dublin North-East in 1954 and 1957.

Dudley T. Hussey and his family moved to Rathgar in the 1900s and his sons played rugby for the local Palmerston club, where Dudley junior (Dudley D.) became captain and later president. In turn, Dudley D.’s son, John, was to be a player and officer at St. Mary’s RFC and later a senior figure in the IRFU, serving a term as president. Sports administration was, it seems, a family way of life.

Long after Dudley T. Hussey has ceased to be actively involved in Bohemians the Irish Times marked fifty years of Bohemians referring to the club’s first secretary as still having “the same bright sense of humour as in the days when he first became an honorary official of ‘soccer’”. Dudley T. Hussey died, aged 73, in 1944 but a decade later was recalled in another Irish Times feature for his crucial role with Bohemians; among other contributions he gave the club its long-standing motto, It Can Be Done.

It has been a long road to recovery for the fans’ favourite, who saw his 2019 season cut short after he broke his ankle against Sligo Rovers nearly 14 months ago.

It was tough on Corcoran, whose early-season form saw him pick up the SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month Award two months previously.

Corcoran, 31, said: “It was a long break, I broke it against Sligo last May. I worked really hard over the lockdown to build up my fitness again.

“It was great to get 90 minutes under the belt against Cabinteely and a win.

“It was my first start in over a year, I played a few minutes against Cork after the restart but that was the only competitive football I’ve played since last summer.”

Such is the competition for places in the team, that the likes of Corcoran, along with the club’s other two previous SSE Airtricity/Soccer Writers’ Association of Ireland Player of the Month Award winners, Danny Mandroiu and James Talbot, have had to be patient.

Corcoran said: “The whole team has come back from the break flying. They’re flying fit and we are unbeaten in the league since the return.

“If you are a manager, it is hard to change a winning team. I just have to be patient and hopefully I’ll get my chance and take it if I do.

“I played regularly over the last two or three years under Keith Long and Trevor Croly, so I’m not complaining or angry that I’m not in the team.

“The team is winning and that’s the most important thing. If I get five or ten minutes here, I have to take that chance and be ready for it between now and the end of the season.”

But if the game today is in the balance, manager Keith Long knows he has a proven goalscorer on the bench who he can turn to.

Corcoran said: “Of course I’m hoping I can get on. I have a few fond memories out in Tallaght. But the team are getting goals from everywhere, so hopefully whoever is on the pitch will get the job done.

“It will be a different kind of Dublin derby but it’s all about the three points. It is going to be strange out in Tallaght with no fans. These games are usually jam-packed… carnage!

“But we have got used to playing with no fans at this stage. We know they are behind us watching from home or wherever they will watch it, so that is in the back of our minds the whole time.

“It will take away from the occasion but the boys will be focused no matter what.”

Few predicted Bohs to be sitting in second place at this stage of the season, and they go into the game as underdogs with the bookies.

Corcoran said: “Every game, you put yourself under pressure to perform. Maybe there’s a bit more for this game. There is pressure on us but there is a bit more on them. ”

But one thing this Bohs team have in spades going into a game of such importance is a strong sense of unity and togetherness, which is mirrored throughout the club.

Corcoran said: “The team morale is great. That’s what has got us where we are. There is a great team bond and it shows on the pitch.

“We would die for each other out there. Keith has assembled a great squad with good characters. It’s probably the best squad we’ve had in years.”

Corcoran plays an important role in that as following the retirement of experienced players such as Derek Pender and Shane Supple in recent seasons, at 31, he finds himself as the elder statesman in a squad that has an average age of 23.

He added: “They’re keeping me young. I guess I’m the experienced fella in the team but I’m a bit cooler than Detser or Supps!

“I’ve been in the league 12 or 13 years now, so I know it quite well. I’m just there to help if any of the younger lads need it.”

And if the game is in the balance, they might need his help today too.

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians have a full squad to choose from.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Please note that today’s game is only available on eir Sport, who have exclusive rights.

It is NOT available on WatchLOI, unless you are an overseas customer/subscriber.

While devastated at the final whistle, many positives and much pride can be taken from their performance.

One of the many men who impressed was James Finnerty, who was forced into action in the 71st minute after Rob Cornwall suffered an ankle injury. He is likely to start tonight.

Such was Finnerty’s performance that that the onlooking Hungary head coach Marco Rossi told one Bohs director that he was the best player on the pitch.

It is some turnaround for Finnerty, who was making his first appearance since the opening day of the season. He has had to be patient this year having played 31 of Bohs’ 36 league games in 2019.

The Meath man, 21, said: “I have had to bide my time, Rob and Dan Casey have both been very solid at the back this season. I just had to keep training hard and be ready to take my chance when it came.

“There is great competition for places all over the team this season so you just have to be patient when you’re not in the team and keep working hard.

“We have good back-up in every position so when a player gets injured or is suspended, we have players who can come in and do as good a job.”

While supporters are used to Finnerty’s solid displays at centre-back, they are less so used to his attacking capabilities.

Finnerty’s run from one end of the pitch to the other having won a tackle deep inside his own half in the second half of extra time surprised many, including his former captain and co-commentator on the night Derek Pender who wondered what Long must have thought about it.

Finnerty added: “Keith and Trevor were both shouting over at me but I couldn’t really hear them. They were probably giving out that I was so far forward when we were at 1-1 with five minutes to go! But I have that side to my game too.”

For Long, tonight’s tie pits him against his father-in-law Pat Devlin, with whom he has previously worked at Bray Wanderers.

Long said: “Pat has a love affair with the FAI Cup going back to 1990 when he first won the cup with Bray Wanderers and a feat he then repeated in 1999 when Bray defeated Finn Harps after three games.

“Pat’s involvement in League of Ireland football stems back decades and he deserves great credit for the service he has done for Irish football and the influence he has had on many generations of footballers.

“Because he has worked for what some may see as unfashionable clubs, some of his work goes unnoticed but he is a competitor and wants to win.

“He has put together an excellent Cabinteely side and along with his backroom team of Eddie Gormley and Graham O’Hanlon, he will have his players primed.

“We will have to be at our very best and we expect a very tough game with Cabinteely flying high at the top of the First Division.”

Long will not entertain the idea of his team feeling sorry for themselves following their Europa League exit, and has challenged his side to match that level of performance for the remainder of the season.

He added: “After a huge and at times heroic performance in Hungary on Thursday night, it is important that we show resilience and character to bounce back and hopefully progress to an FAI Cup quarter-final.

“Myself, Trevor and all the backroom staff are immensely proud of the players and how they performed. After a nervous enough opening, we got a really good goal with Kris Twardek delivering a quality cross after a powerful run down the sides for Keith Ward to score at the back post.

“Unfortunately we couldn’t hang on to our lead till half-time but I thought the shape of the team in the second half was good and the boys fought so hard for each other to try and come away with what would have been an unbelievable victory against a really good side with enormous resources.

“To a man, they ran themselves into the ground, they did so for each other, for the club and what it means to them to be involved within this group.

“Fehervar are a really decent side, they have some top players and we pushed them all the way only to lose out on penalties. That was gut wrenching but it also shows you the direction in which the club is going.

“I have to comment also on the support we received from the stands. It was unbelievable to hear the small travelling party to a man and woman get behind the lads. We could hear every word and again it just reaffirms that we work for a really great, proud club that backs its players to the hilt.

“That also goes for the players sitting in the stands who put aside their own disappointments of not playing to support the boys helping them and encouraging them to fight for every inch.

“Although the pain of losing on penalties was hard to take, it is very clear that this club has fostered a unique sense of togetherness which is a very powerful thing as we search for constant progression and improvement.”

TEAM NEWS

Bohemians will be without Danny Mandroiu and Danny Grant who are both attending an Ireland U21s’ training camp. Rob Cornwall (ankle) and Keith Buckley (hamstring), who were both forced off on Thursday, are both sidelined.

“They have been absolutely brilliant. We can ask no more of them. Youth can help you in one sense in that they will play with no fear and some of these boys have been away at international tournaments so they do have a bit of a taste for it.

“We have a lot of young players who have been involved in Ireland U21 games, Ireland U19 games, and we have six who have played in the Uefa Youth League with our U19s over the past two seasons.

“It’s another step or two up in class again but that is what you want. We are looking forward to the game, the boys are excited about testing themselves against different opposition.

“We have set a target for the players to get through this round. We have asked that of them. We are up against it and we are clearly the underdogs. The opposition is the best-resourced club in Hungary with a lot of international players from many different countries. But we are not without hope.”

While his team lacks experience at this level, so too does Long himself as he takes charge of a European game for the first time in his sixth season at the helm. It is an opportunity he is relishing.

The 46-year-old took over ahead of the 2015 season with the Gypsies tipped by many for relegation, but now sees his side second in the table and back in Europe. It has been quite the journey.

He said: “It shows how far we have come together as a club. It was a brilliant season last year and it is great that we have been able to get to this point that we have European football. It’s why we are in the game as we want to test ourselves at the highest level that we possibly can.

“Really what we want is a good level of performance. We have tried to analyse the opposition as best we can. It’s a different level of opposition to what we are used to and I am no different to the players, I am really looking forward to it as are the rest of the staff.”

While Long and his players look forward to a game on European soil, there is a huge sense of regret that they will not be joined in Székesfehérvár by the fans who helped get them there.

Long said: “Football hasn’t been the same without the supporters. The fans were pivotal in getting us over the line last year, there is no doubt about it, in games when we were hanging on or trying to get over the line.

“We started to believe we could get Europe last year when Michael Barker scored a last-minute winner down in Waterford. That’s when we first heard the chant of ‘we’re going abroad’ that night. That spurred us on. We lived in hope since that moment.

“To go away without those supporters – there’s a whole generation who haven’t experienced European football – is a bitter pill to swallow.

“They certainly would have turned out in possibly unprecedented numbers to support the team in Europe. We just hope they can get behind the team by watching the stream.

“We want to represent the club and do those fans proud. Progressing in Europe would obviously be of great financial benefit to the club.

“But uppermost in our thoughts since we returned from the lockdown has been our supporters and the way they have got behind us at every turn.

“The players are extremely conscious of who they represent and who they play for. Without the supporters’ help and financial backing, we wouldn’t be in the position we are in today.

“The players bring that in their minds onto the pitch tonight and hopefully we can do the club and fans proud.”

Derek Pender celebrates qualifying for Europe in Richmond Park last October – he is co-commentator tonight (Stephen Burke)

That sense of togetherness and progress at the club between the first team and its supporters is echoed in other sections of the club too.

Qualifying for Europe with such a young squad was in itself a remarkable achievement, but the age profile of Long’s first team is no coincidence.

As Long mentioned, Bohs have the seventh youngest squad across all top divisions.

Even more encouraging is that 12 of Bohs’ squad of 26 have either come through the Bohs-SKB U17s or Bohemians U19s, or were previously developed by our partners at St Kevin’s.

The player pathway is reaping dividends, and the experience of playing in the Uefa Youth League in 2018 and 2019 should stand to some of his young guns too.

Long added: “We were even younger last year when we qualified. Some of the players came into the team at a crucial point to get us over the line at a crucial point – the likes of Ross Tierney and Dawson Devoy were exceptional and belied their years in terms of their performances.

“It’s great for the club that we have 46% of our players have come through either the Bohs-SKB U17s, our U19s, or were developed at St Kevin’s previously.

“We have a clear pathway for players now through the age groups. We have young players coming behind through our U19s now too like Jack Moylan and Gavin Molloy, who have been in and around the first team.

“Then you’ve got Evan Ferguson, Robbie Mahon, Jamie Mullins for the Bohs-SKB U17s who are doing really well. It’s great that we have that class of player coming through our system.

“You can see from the make-up of our first team squad the benefits of this pathway, and it bodes well for the future too.”

Derek Poppinga of MM Capital said: “We are delighted to partner with the Bohemians women’s football team and join them in supporting ICCH, which does incredible work helping those most in need.

“We have been lucky to see first hand the great work the club does in the community – the perfect reflection of which is the choice the team have made to put ICCH front and centre.

“We wish them every success for the season ahead on the pitch and continued success with all their community initiatives.”

Bohemian FC Chief Operating Officer Daniel Lambert said: “We would like to thank Derek and the team at MM Capital without whom this would not be possible.

“Their support of our WNL team is fantastic but to then allow ICHH take the jersey profile on top of that is a huge gesture for which we are extremely grateful.

“Outside of football, we have worked with MM Capital for several years now on the regeneration plans for both Dalymount and Phibsboro Shopping Centre.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership on and off the pitch as we move towards the regeneration and redevelopment of these two iconic sites.”

Please note that there are only adult sizes at present, but we hope to add children’s sizes in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, donations from supporters collecting bunting from Dalymount Park on Sunday raised a further €1025 for ICHH.

Due to the demand for the bunting to celebrate our 130th anniversary, our volunteers Susan Lambert and Beth Sexton will be making more.

The extra bunting will be available to collect from Dalymount on Wednesday between 5pm and 6pm, with a minimum donation of €5 to ICHH.