Bohemians 0
Limerick 1
LIMERICK’S RECENT VISIT to Richmond Park was a pretty dull affair with the performance of teak tough centre-half Sam Oji a real highlight. Tonight’s match proved to be just as entertaining with Oji in top form again but the Shannonsiders left with all three points after registering their first win of the campaign.
Sam Oji produced another man of the match display, keeping the Limerick back four solid throughout, albeit with the assistance of the four midfielders. Not only did Oji clear every ball that came his way, the centre-half also provided the assist for Rory Gaffney’s 51st minute match-winning volley.
A very scrappy first-half began brightly. Just 3 minutes in and Steven Beattie caused panic in the Limerick defence, reaching the byeline and flashing the ball past Barry Ryan’s goal but it was just behind striker Dinny Corcoran. It proved to be the best opening Bohemians would create before the interval.
Beattie and skipper Derek Pender linked up well down Bohemians’ right flank with the former giving visiting fullback Robbie Williams a torrid time. The major problem for the hosts was their failure to produce any end product. Their only chances came from outside the box, the best from Kevin Devaney in the 17th minute after Limerick failed to clear their lines. A powerful volley from the winger was fired straight at Ryan.
The visitors improved slightly before the break with Prince Agyemang producing two decent efforts within a minute of each other. The first from 25 yards with the outside of his right boot curled just inches over in the 35th minute. The second from the edge of the box was just wide.
The second-half was a tough watch with Gaffney’s goal the only highlight. It came from a corner after a rare advance from Stuart Taylor’s men. Oji picked up a half-clearance from the Bohemians defence on the left flank and fired it over the top leaving Lee Murphy in the Bohemians goal flapping. The ball bounced once in front of Gaffney before he fired it into the roof of the net.
Owen Heary’s men huffed and puffed for the rest of the game but failed to find any gaps in a very congested Limerick box. Their best player on the night, Steven Beattie, created the only opening with ten minutes to play. The winger latched onto substitute Paddy Kavanagh’s excellent through ball before finding another substitute, Jason Byrne, on the far side of the box but the veteran striker failed to get any real power into his shot.
Worryingly for Heary it’s the fourth time he’s watched his side fail to win at home this season. With just two points from twelve at Dalymount Park, the Gypsies’ faithful may be feeling slightly worried.
BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Pender (C), Price, Lopes, Reynor; D. Byrne, Traynor (J. Byrne 74), Walsh, Beattie, Devaney (Kavanagh 62); Corcoran. Substitutes: Delany, Mulcahy, McEvoy, Buckley, McCabe.
LIMERICK: Ryan; Kelly, Williams, Folan, Duggan (Nzuzi 65), Gaffney, Curran (McManus 85), Tracy, Agyemang (McGrath 62), Oji, Hughes. Substitutes: Cusack, Nzuzi, McManus, Rainsford, Whitehead, Coughlan. Bookings: Williams (38), Hughes (52), Agyemang (62)
Attendance: 1,126.
Referee: Derek Tomney.