JAYO PUTS A CORK IN BOHS’ LOSING STREAK

A predatory, bullet header from Jason Byrne gave Bohemians a share of the spoils at Turner’s Cross, but Bohemians’ boss Owen Heary will rue a glorious opportunity to have taken all 3 points from the unbeaten league leaders. In a mostly-turgid game played in atrocious conditions featuring a howling gale and 90 minutes of bucketing rain, Bohs had the best chances, and could have stolen the win in injury time but for Kevin Devaney’s shot cannoning off the crossbar.

Cork had taken the lead through a Billy Dennehy penalty, and could well have won it themselves but for a disallowed goal on 90 minutes that had the 4,000 strong home crowd squealing in anger. With the wind at their backs, Bohs dominated the second half and should really have come away with their third away win of the season, writes KEVIN FAGAN.

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Jason Byrne returned to the starting line-up in place of Philly McCabe as the only change from the team that were beaten by Sligo Rovers on Monday. That meant Steven Beattie was moved into a right-back position, with Byrne ploughing a lone furrow up front. Unfortunately for both sets of fans – including the raucous travelling supporters – the game was doomed from the beginning to suffer from the effects of the weather. At around 7pm, the heavens opened over Turner’s Cross, and a fierce wind blew from the Shed End towards the Bohs fans in the opposite corner. The wind was at Cork’s back in the first half, and naturally they dominated possession.

City’s wing duo of Billy Dennehy and Liam Kearney were the home side’s two key dangermen, and they created a succession of half-chances in the middle of the half once the home side had acclimatised to the gale. Bohs took longer to get used to the conditions, with Derek Pender and Karl Moore faring the worst with a string of slips and misjudgements. Jason Byrne was actually Bohs’ stand out player in the first period – his hold up play and control were relieving pressure on the back four at regular intervals. The only real chance of the first half came when Kearney got in behind Beattie on the left flank, but his cutback was agonisingly ahead of a sliding Dennehy. The half time whistle was greeted with real enthusiasm from the away fans – they sensed the change of ends could be a defining moment in the match.

Almost straight from the kick-off, Heary’s men signalled their intent. A lovely interchange between Pender and Paddy Kavanagh got the Karl Moore in behind the Cork defence. He delayed his pass perfectly until the midfield runners arrived. He picked Ryan McEvoy out, but the bearded wonder blazed over from 12 yards with the goal at his mercy. Almost inevitably – the league leaders punished that miss. A seemingly over-hit pass to Kearney held up in the wind, and allowed the former Shamrock Rovers man to pull the ball across the face of goal. It skidded all the way to the back post, where Mark O’Sullivan got a toe on the ball in front of Pender, who clearly brought him down. Dennehy stepped up, cleared the water from his eyes, and sent Lee Murphy the wrong way to put the home side in front.

Credit to Bohs, they didn’t let the goal faze them –and hit back within 3 minutes. Paddy Kavanagh was excellent in the second half, and his beautifully-floated cross was destined for the back post – a fact read perfectly by Jason Byrne. The veteran striker stepped off Dan Murray, judged the cross like a master, and bulleted his header into the far corner. He could, and possibly should, have given Bohs the lead with 12 minutes to go. McEvoy was the provider this time, pulling the ball across for Byrne whose shot almost squirmed under McNulty’s body – but the Cork keeper grabbed the ball at the second attempt. The game looked to be petering out to a 1-1 draw without further incident, until an explosion of action in injury time. First, Bohs sub Kevin Devaney let fly with a thunderous 25 yard drive that crashed off the crossbar – McNulty beaten all ends up. Then, with all 3 minutes of added time elapsed, Cork looked to have grabbed a winner. Rob Lehane’s cross was fumbled by Murphy, and Mark O’Sullivan scrambled the ball home. However, referee Neil Doyle adjudged that Murphy was fouled, and Bohs breathed again.

Cork City: Mark McNulty, John Kavanagh (Iarfhlaith Davoren 65), Dan Murray, John Dunleavy, Brian Lenihan, Billy Dennehy, Colin Healy, Gearoid Morrissey, Garry Buckley (Dave O’Leary 80), Liam Kearney (Rob Lehane 71), Mark O’Sullivan. Subs not used: Matt Gledhill, Anthony Elding, Andy O’Connell, Ian Turner.

Bohemians: Lee Murphy, Steven Beattie, Aidan Price (Dan Byrne 64), Robert Lopes, Derek Pender, Paddy Kavanagh, Dave Mulcahy, Ryan McEvoy, Craig Walsh (Kevin Devaney 82), Karl Moore, Jason Byrne. Subs not used: Dean Delany, Jake Hyland, Stephen Traynor, Darragh Reynor, Keith Buckley.

Bohemianfc.com Man of the Match: Jason Byrne

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