Bohemians 0-0 UCD
THE LONG WAIT for a home league win at Dalymount Park which stretches back to last October, taking in seven league games this season, continues.
Bohemians dominated for most of the match but their chances of winning all three points were seriously dented by the unjust sending-off of defender Roberto Lopes with almost an hour still to play.
It was poor quality football in the first-half with UCD spending the first 25 minutes soaking up whatever Bohemians could offer, which was not much. The home side’s attacking problems in the final third this season were summed up by their first real opening of the night.
Six minutes into the action, Derek Pender played an excellent long ball down the left flank to Karl Moore. The winger turned full back Hugh Douglas three times before pulling the ball back to oceans of space at the edge of the box, where there was no team mate to have a shot. The groans from the Dalymount faithful which followed have become a familiar soundtrack to home games in Dublin 7.
The next two chances fell to Jason Byrne and he will be especially kicking himself for missing the first in the 13th minute. UCD defender James Kavanagh coughed up possession to Kevin Devaney, who fed Byrne running into the danger area. About ten yards from goal, his shot with the outside of his right boot landed in the hands of goalkeeper Conor O’Donnell.
Six minutes later Lopes’ long ball up the right flank had full back Mark Langtry in all sorts of trouble, allowing Paddy Kavanagh to pounce and slip the ball inside to Byrne but the striker was just wide with the shot. It was to be one of Lopes’ last contributions of the night.
The centre-half chased down Robbie Benson, who looked through on goal, just after the half-hour mark. As soon as the striker felt Lopes breathe down his neck he took a tumble. It was definitely not a foul but referee Paul McLaughlin, who was a good distance from the incident, did not waste any time in pulling the red from his pocket.
The ensuing free was the first shot on target from the visitors but Chris Mulhall’s kick was straight into the arms of Dean Delany in the 32nd minute. Delany was to pull off the save of the night, and maybe the season, a couple of minutes later when he dived low and to his right to stop a bullet header from Douglas, who rose to meet a Mulhall corner.
Just as they did in the first-half, the hosts began the better team after the break. Eight minutes in, O’Donnell had to dive to save a Karl Moore effort after a good solo run from the winger.
Ten minutes later it was Paddy Kavanagh who made a mazy solo dribble from the engine room right up to the edge of the box before he shot inches wide.
UCD created the next and best opportunity of the night after 67 minutes. It came from a counter-attacking one-two from 30 yards out between Robbie Creevy and Benson. Creevy’s return ball was measured perfectly for the striker to run onto, but his peach of a shot pinged back off the post.
The introduction of Craig Walsh with just under half an hour to play created real problems for the Students’ defence. The midfielder’s best chance came in the 73rd minute with Jason Byrne setting him up to the left of the UCD goal just inside the box. A powerful right-footer from the midfielder was saved well by O’Donnell.
The roles were reversed for Bohemians’ best chance of the night when Walsh took possession on the right flank before putting an excellent cross into Jason Byrne who was unmarked just outside the six-yard box. The striker looked frustrated after he fired his volleyed effort right into the hands of O’Donnell with the last kick of the game.
Bohemians: Delaney, Beattie, Lopes, D. Byrne, Pender, Mulcahy (C), McEvoy, Moore, Kavanagh, Devaney (Walsh 63), J. Byrne.
Substitutes: A. Murphy, Hyland, Traynor, Mulligan, Wearen, L. Murphy.
UCD: O’Donnell, Langtry, Kavanagh, Douglas, Boyle, Creevy, Crowe (Burke 75), Benson (C), Morrison (O’Halloran 78), Mulhall, Belhout.
Substitutes: Matthews, Barker, Wilson, Coyne, McGinley.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
Attendance: 944
Other Airtricity Premier Division and First Division results:
- Derry City 0-1 Shamrock Rovers
- Bray 1-0 Limerick
- St Pat’s 3-2 Cork City
- Waterford 0-1 Shelbourne