With 3 brand new arrivals in the starting line-up, the Bohs back 4 was the most unfamiliar to the home fans in attendance. Experienced duo Lorcan Fitzgerald and Derek Prendergast joined Stephen Best and Derek Pender in an all-new back four, while Kealan Dillon started alongside Roberto Lopes in midfield. Veteran Jason Byrne led the line on the eve of his 37th birthday.

Bohs’ wingers had a familiar look, and they combined to create the opening chance in the third minute. Keith Buckley has been impressive in pre-season, and his driven cross was met by Karl Moore on the opposite wing – but the shot was straight at Bray’s Stephen McGuinness. Unfortunately for the fans in a chilly, windswept Jodi Stand, that was the only clear cut opportunity of the opening half. Derek Prendergast had a header wide from a Dillon cross, but apart from that, the loudest cheer was reserved for referee Ben Connolly falling head over heels on the Dalymount turf.

Speaking of, manager Long will certainly be concerned with the pitch at the home of Irish football. Pock-marked and bobbly, the surface simply doesn’t lend to flowing football, and 120 sodden minutes wont have helped it today.

The game heated up in every way just after the break as Bohs carved out three clear-cut chances within 10 minutes of the re-start. Half time substitute Robbie Creevy had the first, but he somehow failed to connect with a pinpoint Derek Pender drive across the face of goal. Buckley was next, picked out by a sublime pass from Moore. However, the Bohs No. 8 was streching at the ball and could only toe-poke wide. Finally, Paddy Kavanagh missed the best of the lot after a determined run from Roberto Lopes. Lopes’s pull-back found Kavanagh 8 yards out, but he could only shoot straight at the legs of McGuinness.

The game was somewhat disrupted after an unfortunate injury to Bray’s Graham Kelly. Robbie Creevy chopped him down in order to stop an attack – a professional yellow card – but Kelly seemed to be seriously injured, and the dreaded inflated leg-brace / stretcher came on. For a pre-season-type of game, there was a lot of niggle, and referee Ben Connolly had a poor game. He could easily have sent off Dave Scully and Bray sub Emeka Onwubiko, while Creevy was lucky not to have gone for a kick out at Scully, who was a genuine irritant all afternoon. David Cassidy was Bray’s brightest light. He tested Delany with 10 minutes to go, and had the ball in the net a minute later, but his effort was ruled out for offside.

Extra time was a much trickier affair for Bohs. After Prendergast saw his header come off the crossbar in the opening minutes, Bray started to get on top. Bohs captain Pender was forced off with a knee injury, and with all 3 subs used, the home side had to play the last 10 minutes with just 10 men. Delany showed his worth, saving two stinging free-kicks from Daniel O’Reilly. Bray had the ball in the net again, but the goal was ruled out for a foul on Delany by another Bohs old-boy, Chris Lyons (Bray started five former Gypsies in total, Scully, Lyons, Ryan McEvoy, Michael Barker, and Jack Memery).

They say penalties are always a lottery, but when you take them like Bohs did, you’ve got more than a fighting chance. Buckley, Creevy, Kavanagh, and Prendergast buried their kicks. For Bray, Lyons saw his spot kick well saved by Delany. Then, with the pressure on, Scully tried to burst the ball, which crashed off the crossbar, sending Bohs into the quarter final after a Long haul of an afternoon.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Derek Pender, Derek Prendergast, Stephen Best, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Keith Buckley, Roberto Lopes, Kealan Dillon (Robbie Creevy, 46), Karl Moore (Adam Evans, 60), Paddy Kavanagh, Jason Byrne (Marc Griffin, 81). Subs not used: Lee Stacy, Jake Hyland, Dillon Hayes, James O’Brien.

Bray Wanderers: Stephen McGuinness, Michael Barker, Alan McNally (Hugh Douglas, 46), Daniel O’Reilly, Jack Memery, James O’Donnell (Emeka Onwubiko, 57), David Cassidy, Ryan McEvoy, Graham Kelly (Luke Gallagher, 72), Dave Scully, Chris Lyons. Subs not used: Brian Kane, Adam Mitchell, Niall Cooney, Peter Durrad.

BohemianFC.com Man of the Match: Roberto Lopes

“I’m fully focused on the job here, and I know it’s a big job,” Long said, adding that he is fully aware of the Bohemian fans’ expectations.

“We want to generate excitement among the supporters, so that they’re proud of their team, and want to come and watch them.”

The manager expects to see continuing improvement in his team’s pre-season performances.

“It’s important that we build momentum in the pre-season. Performances will improve as we get to know each other, and to gel as a group.

“We’re coming to the business end of the pre-season and we’ll be sharpening our focus on the start of the league.

“It’s important that we put our best foot forward against Bray. We want to do well in the competition, but we have some players with niggles and we obviously don’t want to put them at risk, with the league in mind.”

Long says he and his backroom team are getting close to identifying their preferred starting line-up. “We’ve worked on different combinations. But there’s still room for players to force their way into the team.”

Bohemians have three players out – new signing Dean Kelly has taken a knock in training, Anto Murphy has a groin strain and Dan Byrne is still recovering from long-term injury, but “making good progress” and aiming to return soon to contact training.

Lewis has several pieces “in the works” and hopes to unveil one of these at the start of new league season next month.

He is a regular performer on the Dublin and festival circuit and headlined his own show, ‘OutStraight’, at Electric Picnic. He is the founder of the Inter-Varsity Poetry Slam, a college competition which starts in March and aims to become an all-Ireland event next year.

Lewis is also Chairperson of the Poetry Society at the Institute of Art Design and Technology (IADT) in Dun Laoghaire, where he studies audio-visual media technology.

Lewis Kenny’s appointment comes in Bohemian FC’s 125th anniversary year. The programme of events includes an exhibition, a drama reading, a family day, historical talks and other cultural initiatives. Already known as “the people’s club”, Bohemians are increasingly recognised also as a “club of culture”.

Long also confirmed that Derek Pender will remain as captain despite the return of last year’s skipper.

He said: “Absolutely, Derek will captain the club. That won’t change. I don’t think titles like that will mean too much to someone like Dave Mulcahy. He’ll bring a positive influence, regardless of whether he’s wearing an armband or not.”

Work commitments – he runs his own company, Dave Mulcahy Electrical in Kilkenny – and personal circumstances forced the veteran to cut short his brief stay at Cork City.

Mulcahy said: “With my business, it just couldn’t happen with Cork. I’d great expectations for the season with Cork. I’m sure some Bohs fans won’t like to hear that but at my age, it’s difficult to turn down the chance of playing European football for the last time.

“But when it became clear that it wasn’t going to work out, there was only one club I wanted to sign for. I’m delighted to be back.”

Mulcahy has maintained contact with members of the squad since last season and likes what he’s heard.

“I’ve heard what training is like and how Keith likes his teams to play,” he said. “‘I’m confident that we can push on from last season and aim to get higher up the table.

“We’d good young players at the club already and Keith has strengthened that again. We’ll see a bit more passing football this season and as the oldest lad on the team, hopefully I can make an impact on the younger lads.”