Bohs immediately signalled their attacking threat with a whipped corner from Andy Mulligan that was narrowly headed wide by Beattie. Derek Pender looks to have formed a potent alliance with Beattie on the right flank and these combined for Bohs best opening of the first 20 minutes. Pender’s eventual cross was just inches over Mulligan’s head.

All of the attacking threat was coming from the right side and it was no surprise when this area became the avenue for Bohs’ opening goal in the 28^th minute. Bray full-back Jamie McGlynn dwelt a fraction too long on the ball in the corner and his eventual clearance was blocked down by Kavanagh, who rushed on to the spinning ball and did well to keep it in play. His accurate pull-back found Dinny Cororan, who toe-poked a shot goalwards. Shane Redmond could only parry Corcoran’s shot into the path of Andy Mulligan, who had the simple task of scoring the Gypsies’ first competitive goal of the season.

Kavanagh was excellent in the hole behind Corcoran and was unsurprisingly involved again in the build-up to the second goal, just three minutes later. He had the vision to pick out a perfect through ball to the galloping Dave Mulcahy – again on the Bohs right side. In a ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ moment, Mulcahy’s low drilled cross was superbly tucked into the top corner of the net by Corcoran, who made an intelligent strikers’ run to the near post.

Bray’s defence was completely on the ropes and a boxing match would have been stopped by the time Bohs got a third in the 38^th minute. After more neat play from Kavanagh, Corcoran found himself in acres of space, this time in the left channel. His chipped cross should really have been finished by Mulligan, but the winger fluffed his attempt across the six-yard line. Luckily for him, Beattie was on hand to slide the ball into the empty net.

3-0 wouldn’t have flattered the Gypsies at half-time, but there was another piece of action before the break. On a rare foray into the Bohs half, David Webster attempted an outside-of-the-boot cross. The ball struck Roberto Lopes on the upper arm, but the awarding of a penalty seemed extremely harsh. Lopes’ left arm was in a perfectly natural position by his side and he didn’t move towards the ball. Nevertheless, referee Simon Rogers pointed to the spot and Jake Kelly buried the penalty. Dean Delany guessed right, but had no chance of stopping it.

A Bray half-time substitute came in the familiar form of Dave Scully, who was roundly welcomed by the small home crowd. However, the former Bohs cult hero saw the game put to bed just five minutes after the restart. A Mulligan corner was cleared all the way out to Jack Memery, who fired a pass from the halfway line. The ball was brilliantly controlled by the chest of a retreating Corcoran, who promptly rounded Bray keeper Redmond, who clearly brought the striker down. Perhaps because Bohs were already 3-1 up, perhaps because it was a Leinster Senior Cup game – but referee Rogers decided not to send Redmond off. In a league game, there would have been uproar – Corcoran was definitely denied a clear goalscoring opportunity. Either way, Dinny picked himself up and grabbed his second of the night by sending Redmond the wrong way from the spot. Former Bray man Jason Byrne replaced Corcoran soon after. Almost certainly the most difficult decision facing Heary next week is who to start up front, if he opts for a lone striker.

As soon as Byrne appeared, you felt that he would round off the scoring against his old club. As usual, he didn’t disappoint. In the final minute of normal time, Beattie went on one last slaloming run. Beating four Bray defenders and edging closer to goal, he selflessly cut the ball back into the path of Byrne, whose left-footed shot completed the rout.

Performance pluses for Bohs included Walsh, who was neat and bustling in midfield, Kavanagh, who provided a touch of creative class, and Aidan Price, who was solid and composed at the back. Things are looking good for next week’s opener at the Belfield Bowl.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Derek Pender, Roberto Lopes, Jack Memery, Craig Walsh, Dave Mulcahy (Ryan McEvoy, 77), Andy Mulligan, Paddy Kavanagh (Stephen Traynor, 70), Steven Beattie, Dinny Corcoran (Jason Byrne, 65). Subs not used: Lee Murphy, Kevin Devaney, Keith Buckley, Philly McCabe.

Bray Wanderers: Shane Redmond, Niall Cooney, Danny O’Connor (Shane O’Connor, 39), Shane Byrne (Graham Kelly, 68), Jamie McGlynn, Dean Zambra, David Cassidy, Adam Hanlon, David Webster, Jake Kelly, Ciaran Byrne (Dave Scully, 46). Subs not used: Stephen McGuinness, Philip Nolan, Robert Moloney, Gary Curran.

He is determined to go one better this year, starting with victory against Bray. He said: “People might say, ‘ah it’s the Leinster Senior Cup, it’s only a Mickey Mouse trophy,’ but a trophy is a trophy. We want to go through tonight and we want to go on and win the competition.”

The game was originally due to take place on Saturday February 15 but was postponed to protect the Dalymount pitch from heavy rain. Heary was keen to get the game rescheduled before next week’s league opener away to UCD and said: “We wanted a game on grass. Our last two games were on synthetic surfaces, so we really needed to get the lads a game on a proper surface before the league starts.”

Despite pre-season being hampered by bad weather earlier this month, Heary reckons his players are back up to speed after games against Tolka Rovers and Shelbourne last week.

Bohs beat Tolka 2-1 at IT Blanchardstown 10 days ago but Shels frustrated the Gypsies to earn a deserved 1-1 draw at Scribblestown last Friday.

Heary said: “The Shels game in particular was a very good test for us. For the first 10 or 15 minutes, we barely got near the ball. Shels played at a high tempo and it’s good for our players at this stage of the season to be able to get back into the habit of knowing how to react to that kind of situation. It makes them stronger and makes them increase their own tempo. Hopefully we’ll have more of the same tonight.”

Anto Murphy (hamstring) is the only absentee for tonight’s game, with Heary adding: “It’s not a tear or anything, it’s just a strain but we don’t want to risk him.”

General admission: €10. Members: €5. Students/children/senior citizens: €5.

Members’ subs will also be taken at at halfway line tonight – pre-match, at half-time and at full-time – and season tickets will also be on sale.

Standing order forms will be available (or you can download here) - remember you can now pay for your membership over 12 months (ways to pay).

New members are also encouraged to sign up and play their part (why become a member?).

Don’t forget – if you renew/sign up to membership before our first league home game against Drogheda United on March 14, you will be entered into a draw to win one of 10 copies of FIFA 2014.

Many thanks to all those members and season ticket holders who have already subscribed for the new season, it’s been a great help in the smooth running of your club during the close season.

Any queries? Don’t hesitate to contact us at membership@bohemians.ie

Picture: The 1901/02 Leinster Senior Cup-winning Bohemians!

Dalymount is our home – let’s take more pride in it!

If you feel you can help out, please contact Anthony Donnelly at anthony@bohemians.ie.

(Pic: Peter O’Doherty)

With 30 minutes gone, the best chance of the half arrived. Patrick Kavanagh, playing behind the front man, pushed a lovely through ball to substitute Keith Buckley who couldn’t beat his former Bohs team-mate Murray one-on-one.

Five minutes later, the Shels net-minder was called into action again as Roberto Lopes teed-up a volley for himself, which was clawed away and behind for a corner.

Shelbourne then had the better of the rest of the first period. First, Darren Tinnelly worked his way into the box but then shot over the bar, while just before the half-time whistle sounded, Michael Duffy found himself in space but shot straight at Delany.

The Drumcondra outfit began the second half as they had ended the first and again tested Delany, this time former Bohs Under-19 ace Dylan Connolly with the effort. Another former Gypsy, substitute Conor Murphy, then had a chance in the box but skewed his shot wide.

On 60 minutes and against the run of play, Bohemians took the lead. A back-pass from the right side put Murray under serious pressure and with Andy Mulligan – only brought on seconds before – about to nip in, he pushed the winger over inside the box, a clear penalty. Byrne stepped up and sent the him the wrong way.

Bohs’ lead was to be short-lived, however. Less than three minutes later, Shels were level and again it was a back-pass which put a keeper in difficulty. Lopes left his effort short of Delany, who could only half-clear the ball to substitute Keegan, whose lovely effort from 40 yards found the empty net.

Owen Heary brought on more reinforcements from the bench at this point and with 20 minutes remaining, one of those subs, Anto Murphy, almost found the corner with a curling drive but again Murray was equal to it.

Bohs were playing with more confidence and an excellent move which involved new signings Walsh and Steven Beattie eventually found its way to Dinny Corcoran, who just couldn’t turn in Mulligan’s pull-back.

Skipper Derek Pender, marauding from right-back, was heavily involved as the men in red and black pushed for a winner and five minutes from time, he found Beattie lurking in the box but the forward could only scuff his shot into the ground, which allowed Murray to collect with ease.

This was the last major chance and Shelbourne saw out the remaining minutes to secure a deserved draw. Next up for the Gypsies is the rescheduled Leinster Senior Cup tie against Bray Wanderers at Dalymount Park on Thursday evening.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Derek Pender, Roberto Lopes, Aidan Price, Jack Memery, Patrick Kavanagh (Steven Beattie 65), Ryan McEvoy (Anto Murphy 58), Craig Walsh (Darragh Reynor 82), Kevin Devaney (Keith Buckley 17), Karl Moore (Andy Mulligan 58), Jason Byrne (Dinny Corcoran 65).

Shelbourne: Greg Murray, Simon Dixon, Philip Hand, Robert Gaul, William McDonagh, Stephen Sherrin, Keith Quinn, Gareth Coughlan, Dylan Connolly, Darren Tinnelly, Michael Duffy, Subs: Brian Gannon, John Sullivan, Lee Murtagh, Jordan Keegan, Conor Murphy.

WHY BECOME A MEMBER?

Across Europe, clubs are turning their backs on private ownership and reforming into collective, membership-based bodies in order to enshrine the security and future prosperity of their club into the hands of those who care most — the fans.

The Bohemian Football Club has been a members-owned club since its foundation on 6th September 1890 in the gate lodge at the North Circular Road entrance to the Phoenix Park, where the Club played and trained for the first three years of its existence.

The democratic principle of ‘one man, one vote’ is at the heart of Ireland’s oldest football club which has truly pioneered the game, prime movers in founding the Leinster Football Association, the Football Association of Ireland, the League of Ireland, and the Amateur League.

By fashioning Dalymount Park (opened in September 1901) from what had been part vegetable patch, part vacant lot, Bohemians created what many still feel is the ‘home of Irish football’, a ground that has graced by a cast of thousands, including such as Stanley Matthews, Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Charlton, Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, and Zinedine Zidane, as well of course countless Irish stars past and present, Paddy Moore, Jackie Carey, Johnny Giles, Liam Brady et al.

HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER?

Just complete an application form and return it to: Bohemian Football Club, Dalymount Park, Phibsborough, Dublin 7.

If you do not know any current members or are unable to get someone to propose your membership, simply present yourself at the office during normal working hours or on a match night and hand it over in person.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

It costs €365 for Full Membership, €585 for Family Membership, €210 for Student Membership and €90 for an Associate (Associate Members can be a spouse/partner or, if under-16, a sibling or child of the member).

Senior Membership for €80 is offered to members over 65 who have 10 years’ service.

HOW DO I PAY?

• By post, by sending a cheque payable to the Bohemian Football Club to: Bohemian Football Club, Dalymount Park, Phibsborough, Dublin 7. ‰
• In person, by cash or cheque at the office in Dalymount. ‰
• Online, through the Bohs Store.
• By Standing Order. Payments are usually scheduled monthly. E-mail bfcmembership@gmail.com for a Standing Order form. Your bank will require the following details: Bohemian Football Club Account No. 1 Sort Code 93-22-05 Account No. 01266417 AIB Drumcondra, 140 Lr Drumcondra Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9.

QUERIES?

• Phone our office: (01) 868 0923.
• E-mail bfcmembership@gmail.com.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

• Membership Card ‰
• Free entry to Jodi Stand for all Bohemian FC home games in the Airtricity League Premier Division at Dalymount Park. ‰
• Annual report. Sent out prior to AGM; contains club’s financial position and plans for the future. ‰
• The right to attend and vote at general meetings of the club (AGMs, EGMs) and information meetings. ‰
• After 3 years’ service a Member can put him or herself forward for election to the Board of Directors (Management Committee), and after 5 years for the presidency.
• Members have full use of the club bars and can avail of a discount for function room rental for parties, etc. ‰
• Discounts in the club shop. ‰
• Priority booking events and trips arranged by the club. ‰
• Regular Club Newsletter (by e-mail). ‰
• Cup games for a fiver! For home games in the FAI Ford Cup, EA Sports Cup, and Leinster Cup members pay just €5 for entry.

ALREADY A MEMBER?

Please encourage others to join and/or let us know re potential members and your membership sub-committee will do all the following up!