BOHEMIANS 1 – 0 CORK CITY
A priceless first half goal from Dinny Corcoran catapulted brave Bohemians into the last 8 of the FAI Cup on a tense night in Phibsboro. There were no foxhole surprises this time around, but a slick Dalymount surface played host to a pulsating cup tie which saw supreme performances from Bohs goalkeeper Dean Delany and winger Kevin Devaney.
Gypsies manager Owen Heary was forced into two full-back changes from Friday’s end-to-end 2-2 draw in Turner’s Cross. Derek Pender replaced the suspended Steven Beattie at left back, while Roberto Lopes replaced Keith Buckley at right back. The barstools and stormy weather kept many away, but those who came were treated to a high-octane cup tie in the true tradition of the FAI’s blue riband trophy, writes KEVIN FAGAN. John Caulfield and Cork must be sick of the sight of Bohs at this stage – the Gypsies have won 2 and drawn 2 of the four games so far this season. Chief among Cork’s tormentors was Kevin Devaney, who was simply superb on the right flank for Bohs. He had the first shot in anger with a stinging effort on 8 minutes that Mark McNulty pushed around the post for a corner. The teams exchanged set pieces before an unfortunate incident mid-way through the first half. Dan Byrne was unfairly shouldered by Mark O’Sullivan, and twisted his knee awkwardly. The Cabra man tried to play on, but suffered another twist just moments later. It quickly became very clear that Byrne was seriously injured, and the initial reports of a cruciate ligament tear are hopefully wide of the mark. The defender has been one of Bohs’ standout performers of the season. Understandably, Bohs were shaken by the episode, and took a good 1o minutes to gather themselves. Cork could easily have capitalised, but Mark O’Sullivan’s effort was well saved by Delany before Roberto Lopes headed just wide of his own goal under duress. Devaney sparked into life again on 34 minutes, skinning John Dunleavy before firing a cross/shot that stung McNulty’s palms again. The opener arrived just 5 minutes later, and there was no surprise that it came from the Bohs right side. Devaney slalomed past two before feeding the overlapping Lopes, who cut the ball back to Jason Byrne. Jayo’s shot cannoned off Dan Murray and fell to Dinny Corcoran at the back post – and he added to his brace from Friday by steering / controlling the ball into the far corner. The second half kept to the end-to-end script – Devaney had another long range effort before Cork had a glorious chance to equalise. Billy Dennehy powered past Aidan Price and found himself one on one with Delany. His initial hot was brilliantly saved by the Bohs keeper, but the ball rebounded back off Dennehy and then struck the post. Bohs breathed a sigh of relief as Dennehy choked back the tears. Delany still had a big part to play. On 81 minutes, he pulled off a fantastic 1 handed save from a Gearoid Morrissey snapshot. The ball almost fell into the goal after the save, but Delany scrambled to grab it at the second attempt. Then, in injury time, the Bohs keeper had to fly across his goal to stop a Colin Healy free-kick. The relief was palpable, and the joy was clear when referee Neil Doyle blew the final whistle just a minute later. Bohs are into Tuesday’s quarter final draw. After dispatching Limerick and Cork with two tough away draws, Owen Heary will be hoping for a home tie in the last 8. Just two steps from the Aviva. Bohemians: Dean Delany, Roberto Lopes, Daniel Byrne (Craig Walsh 26), Aidan Price, Derek Pender, Kevin Devaney, David Mulcahy, Eoin Wearen, Karl Moore (Keith Buckley 80), Jason Byrne (Adam Evans 66), Dinny Corcoran. Subs not used: Jake Hyland, Paddy Kavanagh, Stephen Best, Aaron Shanahan. Cork City: Mark McNulty, John Kavanagh (Liam Kearney, 79), Dan Murray, Darren Dennehy, John Dunleavy, Josh O’Shea (Danny Morrissey, 46), Gearoid Morrissey, Colin Healy, Garry Buckley, Billy Dennehy, Mark O’Sullivan (Cillian Morrison, 63). Subs not used: Kevin O’Brien, Gavin Kavanagh, Darren Murphy, David O’Leary.READ MORE
