Finn Harps 4
Bohemians 3
(after extra-time)
Alan Foley reports from Finn Park
BOHEMIANS’ BUS BROKE down on the way to Ballybofey and the Dubliners then saw their FAI Cup hopes go off the road against Finn Harps in a stirring tie with Eddie Dsane netting the extra-time winner from a pinpoint free-kick.
14 minutes from the end of normal time, captain Derek Pender beat Ciaran Gallagher in a one-on-one having played a neat give and go with Dinny Corcoran to slice up the hosts’ defence and give Bohemians a 3-2 lead.
That’s the way it looked like finishing but in the fourth minute of injury time, Harps’ Sean Houston smashed home his second penalty of the evening to make it 3-3 and bring the contest to extra-time.
Dsane then, three minutes into the first period, curled a free in off the underside of the Bohemians crossbar to edge Harps back in front. And it was a lead that they’d hold onto, although there were a few edgy moments late on.
Rather peculiarly, Houston’s second penalty levelled it at 3-3 in the 94th minute of normal time prior to Dsane’s winner.
In a thoroughly entertaining contest, which went one way and then the other and then back again, Dinny Corcoran put Bohemians into the lead before Harps edged 2-1 ahead courtesy of a Kilian Cantwell goal and penalty from Houston. It was all square again — this time at 2-2 — in the 49th minute, when Patrick Kavanagh scored a header.
Bohemians’ travel problems caused a 10-minute delay to the kick-off in the north-west and that might have upset the preparations of Keith Long’s team, who started slowly.
Corcoran, though, opened the scoring on 23 minutes with a quality strike past Gallagher in the Harps goal from the edge of the area in what was Bohemians’ first real effort of that match.
Harps had edged it until that point. The home side started with intent with Kilian Cantwell, on two minutes, pirouetting in the penalty area following a corner from Pascal Millien and Shane Supple forced to get down low to save.
However, the Dalymount Park residents edged ahead before the aforementioned Harps duo combined for the equaliser on 31 minutes. Millien was again the provider from the left-hand side and in slipped Cantwell amid some hesitant Bohemians defending to slide home for 1-1.
Then, just five minutes later, Houston slotted home from the penalty spot, opting to shoot straight down the middle past Supple after Ibrahim Keita had nipped possession from Daniel Byrne, before drawing a foul from the Bohemians player.
Gallagher in the Harps goal made a great reaction save, clawing a spinning ball onto the crossbar, as an attempted clearance cannoned off Corcoran four minutes before the break. Moments later, Supple stood tall as Houston was set away by a fine through ball by Jonny Bonnar. The hosts went in 2-1 ahead at the break.
It was 2-2 inside five minutes of the restart, when Kavanagh jumped unchallenged to glance into the bottom corner, as Ciaran Coll stood and stared. The cross was provided by Pender.
And two minutes later, Fuad Sule tip-toed his way towards the Harps goal and his chip on the turn grazed the outside of Gallagher’s goalpost. Kananagh then, with the visitors causing all manner of difficulties, saw his shot at goal blocked by Ethan Boyle.
With the initiative switching hands at a dramatic pace, Oscar Brennan was fortunate not to put the ball in his own net as Keita made inroads on the right and Supple then got down low to avert the danger from Eddie Dsane.
Pender’s goal looked as though it was enough to settle the tie. But when Byrne left a stray leg out on Caolan McAleer, referee Paul McLaughlin pointed to the spot for the second time and Houston held his nerve for 3-3 four minutes into injury time.
Three minutes into extra-time, the home support squealed for a third penalty when Brennan was adjudged to have handled a shot from Mark Timlin, who was only a couple of yards away.
A free-kick was awarded right on the edge of the Bohemians penalty area and Dsane’s effort made it 4-3 and it proved to be the last decisive act in a fascinating cup tie.
Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Tommy McBride (BJ Banda 87), Ethan Boyle, Kilian Cantwell, Ciaran Coll; Pascal Millien (Caolan McAleer 64), Jonny Bonner, Sean Houston, Mark Timlin; Eddie Dsane, Ibrahim Keita (Danny Morrissey 90).
Bohemians: Shane Supple; Dylan Hayes, Rob Cornwall, Dany Byrne, Derek Pender; Paddy Kavanagh (Ciaran O’Connor 96), Oscar Brennan, Fuad Sule, Keith Ward (Lorcan Fitzgerald 90+1); Ishmail Akinade, Dinny Corcoran (Ian Morris 86).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
Here are tonight’s other FAI Cup results:
- Cabinteely 3-1 UCD
- Waterford 0-3 Shelbourne
- Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Glenville
- Wexford 1-2 Crumlin United
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