Heary is looking to the fans to help his side turn Dalymount performances into wins. He is looking for “that effort from everyone – myself, the players, the fans, the club as a whole” to improve Bohemians’ position.

“The fans were brilliant last week and you saw how the players celebrated the goal with them. You could sense that the lads were playing for the club,” said Heary.

“The players will make mistakes. But what matters is how you react to mistakes. If they get a positive reaction even when they make a mistake we can be all right.”

Last week’s draw against Drogheda United was encouraging, according to the manager. “We were without Derek Pender, Luke Byrne and Dave Mulcahy and Drogheda are a decent side, physically strong and well drilled. So, I was pleased to get the point out of it. It felt like a win at the end,” said Heary.

“We know from past games that, 1-0 down, we can drop our heads. The players showed great character. They bounced back, they didn’t give up and we scored a late goal, just as we scored late goals against Bray.”

When Bohemians and UCD met last in the league in May, Bohs were eight points ahead of the Students in the table, but went down 1-0 to an early goal in a feisty encounter that featured five yellow cards and a red.

The balance between the sides has changed as Heary takes his place in the dug-out for the first time since his appointment as caretaker manager. Graham O’Hanlon, coach of the under-19 team, will be at his side.

“Standing in the gantry you get to see every player and you have a better view than when you’re on the sideline. Against Drogheda I could see that we lost our shape once or twice,” said Heary. “Now I’m hoping that the lads will get positive encouragement from having me on the sideline.”

The manager was delighted at the crowd’s reaction to Anto Murphy’s return to the club but also at his former team-mate’s performance. “He went straight into defence, winning headers, winning tackles. He played some great balls and then he comes up trumps with the one throw that he had.”

Dave Mulcahy (ankle injury) faces a late fitness test for Friday. Ryan McEvoy has a recurrence of the ankle injury that kept him out for several games last month and he and Chris Lyons (bruised ribs) are likely to miss Friday’s game. But Shane Murray has trained all week following his ankle injury and is available.

Heary has brought in an additional defender/midfielder for the last round of the campaign. Daniel Byrne (20) has re-signed from Kilbarrack United, having previously been a member of Bohemians’ under-19 squad. Meanwhile, Zein Albehadlie, Conor O’Brien, Michael Scott and Santiago Miguel Falbo have been released from the senior squad.

INS:

• Daniel Byrne (defender, 20, Kilbarrack United)
• Dinny Corcoran (striker, 24, UCD)
• Stephen Doran (midfielder, 24, Martin Methodist College Tennessee)
• Anto Murphy (defender/midfielder, 30, Sheriff YC)
• Conor Murphy (striker, 20, St Patrick’s Athletic)
• Lorcan Shannon (midfielder, 19, Shamrock Rovers)

OUTS: 

• Mark Byrne (defender, 22, signed from Crumlin United earlier this month but subsequently released)
• Santiago Miguel Falbo (midfielder, 23, unattached)
• Darragh Hanaphy (striker, 25, unattached)
• Conor O’Brien (midfielder, 20, unattached)
• Kevin O’Leary (striker, 21, Bray Wanderers)
• Dwayne Wilson (striker, 26, Bray Wanderers)

The next monthly will take place on August 16th during our Dublin derby against Shamrock Rovers.

Buy your ticket now to make sure you don’t miss out!

JULY WINNERS
10 Winners : €100 each

• Ticket: 0616 – Winner: Paul S & Paul B – Seller: Mick Green, D.I.T.
• Ticket: 0912 – Winner: Joe Nolan & Friends – Seller: Larry Rogan
• Ticket: 1965 – Winner: Lorraine & Laura & Shane Fitzsimons – Seller: Tony Colmey
• Ticket: 0132 – Winner: Darren Grant – Seller: Des Parsons
• Ticket: 1840 – Winner: Roger Franzoni – Seller: Tony Colmey
• Ticket: 0467 – Winner: Mary Sorahan – Seller: Liam McDonagh
• Ticket: 0350 – Winner: Joe Shannon – Seller: Tony Colmey
• Ticket: 0413 – Winner: Eddie Starrs – Seller: Gerry Sexton
• Ticket: 1827 – Winner: Mrs Florrie Cronan – Seller: Eileen McClinton
• Ticket: 1929 – Winner: Andrew Kelly – Seller: Jimmy Murphy

Extra Prize: Voucher for Castleknock Hotel

• Ticket: 0686 – Winner: Louise Dumbrell – Seller: Tommy Dornan

Extra Prize: Golf Voucher

• Ticket: 1515 – Winner: Adam, Zara & Sienna Monaghan – Seller: Mono

Congratulations to all our winners!
Contact: Jimmy O’Connor on 085 1655168 to arrange prize collection.

Chris Lyons and Dinny Corcoran pressed high from the off and made life difficult for the visitors’ defence. But Bohs were unable to turn the pressure into any clear-cut goalscoring opportunities.

The closest they came to breaking the deadlock in this early spell was when Karl Moore attacked the Drogs defence on the left wing before setting striker Corcoran clear with a beautifully-measured through ball. The ex-UCD and Drogheda frontman failed to control the ball sufficiently to get a clear strike, and the attack petered out into nothing.

Soon afterwards, Drogheda’s shape improved, and their midfielders and wingers got more time on the ball. A series of David Cassidy corners left Bohs fans biting their nails. But a defence that was missing Owen Heary, Dave Mulcahy, and Luke Byrne, was bolstered with the re-signing of Anto Murphy, who added composure and stability to the weakened backline.

Dean Delany had to be alert when one of Cassidy’s corners found its way to the feet of Gavin Brennan, whose low strike was well saved by the Bohs goalkeeper.

The second half continued much like the first, with Drogheda enjoying much more of the possession. On one of the rare occasions that Bohs were able to find space to attack the opposition, Conor Murphy squared the ball to the awaiting Corcoran, whose low shot was too tame to beat Michael Schlingermann.

Drogheda’s pressure nearly paid off when a well-constructed training ground move saw a corner come straight to Ryan Brennan near the edge of the box. He met the ball perfectly and his bullet shot clattered the Bohs crossbar.

But Drogs eventually drew first blood on 65 minutes when Delany failed to deal with a powerful in-swinging corner from Gavin Brennan. He could only parry to defender Alan Byrne, who finished from close range to give Mick Cooke’s men the lead.

After the goal, the home side found it difficult to get back into the game, with the midfield looking absent for large spells. Drogheda continued to attack when on the ball, and didn’t have a lot to deal with defensively, as Bohs began to look desperate after going a goal down.

It was difficult to see how the home team were going to find a leveller, but with two minutes left of normal time, Anto Murphy told Darragh Reynor to leave a throw-in and allow him to take it instead.

Murphy, who turns 31 this Thursday, threw it straight into the danger zone for his only long throw of the night, and the ball was met by his centre-back partner Lopes, who cooly volleyed home from six yards out.

The excitement would continue, as mere minutes later Dalymount Park went from ecstatic to momentarily heartbroken when Declan O’Brien put the ball in the back of Delany’s net, only to be pulled back for offside.

The home side then could have snatched all three points, when substitute Dave Scully found himself with a bit of space in the box, only to go down from a tackle too easily for the referee Rob Rogers’ liking, who booked the striker for diving.

The stalemate leaves Bohemians bottom and Drogheda just four points and four league positions higher. Bohs have now taken four points from a possible six since parting ways with former manager Aaron Callaghan, and could overtake as much as three teams next week if results go their way.

Speaking after the match, Anto Murphy said: “It’s a very important point for us, as Drogheda were putting a lot of pressure on us for most of the match. I think when we switched to three at the back we started getting a lot more joy on the sides.”

Murphy brings much experience to the youthful Bohemians team. He feels he has more of a responsibility now than the first time he was at the club, when he won five major trophies from 2008-2010.

He said: “Position-wise, and talking; the young lads wouldn’t be used to it so much. But I was telling the lads to just keep at it. I told them the more we get it down the wings, the more corners and throw-ins we’ll get, and I knew I could throw the ball as good as a corner.”

After being out of the League of Ireland since leaving Shelbourne at the end of last season, Murphy reassured Bohs fans that he has retained much of his fitness having played with Sheriff YC this season, although he acknowledge he lacked match fitness having been away on honeymoon for the majority of June.

He added: “I got back into training around the start of July, so I’m fit, but it’s just match fitness that I’ll need to regain, which I should be able to achieve over the next couple of weeks playing and training.”

Bohemians: Delany; Barker (Scully, 83), Lopes, A Murphy, Reynor; Buckley, Traynor (Mulligan 69), McEvoy, Moore; Corcoran, Lyons  (C Murphy 49).

Drogheda United: Schlingermann; Grimes, Byrne, Prendergast, G. Brennan; R. Brennan, O’Conor, O’Neill, Cassidy: Rusk, Hynes (O‘Brien 69).

Referee: Rob Rogers (Dublin).

“Expectations have gone up after that match and we have to be aware of that. But we also can’t go into our shells after one win. We have to go out and do it again and the fans will get behind us.”

Drogheda United have, like Bohemians, found it hard to get league wins over recent months. Their last victory came in mid-May, away to Limerick. But the Bohemian manager is not under-estimating them.

“They have had to deal with European commitments. They have done fantastically well last season and at the start of this season. And they don’t become a bad team overnight,” he said.

Heary is organising his campaign as caretaker manager on a match-by-match basis, not knowing how long he will be in position. “We are giving the players all the information they need about the next opponents, but I cannot set targets for groups of games, as I would like to.”

For Friday, he has to plan without suspended defenders Derek Pender and Luke Byrne. However, he has signed former Bohemian team-mate Anto Murphy and will bring him into action immediately in the centre of defence.

Utility player Murphy has been most recently with FAI Junior Cup-holders Sheriff YC, and had spells with St Patrick’s Athletic and Shelbourne since he was a trophy-winner with Bohemians. He has joined his old club days before his 31st birthday (1st August).

“He is technically good, he works hard, he’s good in the air and he has a lot of the attributes as well as the experience that we need in our side,” said Heary.

Ciaran Nangle is likely to return to the left side of defence. But Murphy’s arrival avoids having to move Dave Mulcahy back; he took a knock against Bray last week but should be fit to play his commanding role in midfield.

Midfielder Shane Murray (ankle injury) may not be available for Friday but a new option in midfield is recruit Stephen Doran (24), who has returned to his native Dublin after four years in the United States.

Doran has played with Martin Methodist College (Tennessee) and Rocket City United (Alabama) and has been training with the Bohemian squad for the past month and played in recent friendlies.

Bohs secured that second place with a surprise 3-2 win over Ocean City last weekend, when goalkeeper Zach Kane scored the winning goal in stoppage time from a free.

Baltimore Bohemians advanced to a play-off against third-place Reading United (Pennsylvania) on Tuesday but were beaten 3-1 after extra-time.

We urge all Bohs supporters to sign up and encourage family, friends, work colleagues and the wider football community (at home and abroad) to join. Start spreading the news!

PRIZES GALORE
As ever, we have lots of overall prizes to give out. Even last place will get a prize! The breakdown of prizes is as follows:

1. €500
2. €200
3. €100
4. €50
5. Entry to Bohs FF Comp 2014/15
6. Entry to Bohs FF Comp 2014/15
7. Last Place: Crate of minerals

AND THERE’S MORE…

In addition, there will be fantastic monthly prizes.The following prizes will be up for grabs from August to May:

• 2 tickets to a Manchester United home game
• 2 tickets to a major gig (last season it was The Killers)
• Four ball at New Forest Golf Club
• Cordless twinset landline phone
• Pat Fenlon’s Hibernian FC training top (signed)
• Pat Fenlon’s Hibernian FC Sweatshirt
• Signed match-worn Bohemian FC jersey
• Signed Bohemian FC football
• Four Ball at Castleknock golf club
• Crate of Heineken bottles and a crate of minerals
• Lunch for 2 in the Cinnamon Cafe and tickets to the Savoy Cinema
• Four ball at Moyvalley Golf Club
• €50 Casa Rebelde voucher
• One night B&B getaway at Druids Glen Resort

….and if that isn’t enough, as usual there will be a number of weekly prizes!

SELLERS’ PRIZES

Sell 3 entries (including to yourself if necessary!) and be entered into a draw for:

1. Four ball at Moyvalley Golf Club and a crate of Club Orange
2. Crate of 7Up

Simply email the names to bfcfpl@gmail.com by 23.59 on August 17th.

TO JOIN

To register for the competition, simply click the ‘Register Now’ button on this link and follow the simple online registration steps. You pay can securely by credit card, Laser and PayPal.

TO SIGN UP FOR THE LEAGUE

Once you have registered, you will be sent a confirmation number and the league code for the Bohs Fantasy Premier League. Many of you will already be playing the game and will know the score.

However, if you don’t it’s an easy process to sign up at http://fantasy.premierleague.com/ and then enter the code to join the league. Let the games begin!

QUERIES

If you have any queries, please feel free to contact us at bfcfpl@gmail.com.