Bohemians 4
Cork City 0
Patrick O’Connor reports from Dalymount Park
BOHEMIANS RECORDED A comprehensive 4-0 win over Cork City at Dalymount Park on Friday night but it was all in vain as events elsewhere conspired against them and they finished their league campaign in a disappointing sixth place in the league table.
They have missed out on a top four spot and will now need to win the FAI Cup final in two weeks’ time if they are to secure European football next season.
Bohemians dominated this game from the kick off and it was no surprise when they took an early lead courtesy of a Danny Grant goal in the 12th minute.
The winger received the ball on the left flank and when his right-footed shot on goal took a deflection off Sam Bailey, it flew into the net past a stranded Ollie Byrne in goals. It was an unfortunate start for the 17-year-old debutant at the heart of the Cork City defence; otherwise he was coping well with the threat of his immediate opponent Jonathan Afloabi.
The Gypsies went for the jugular after that goal and they created numerous half chances with Dylan Connolly and Grant seeing plenty of the ball on both wings.
City would have been happy with a single goal deficit at the break but the incessant Bohemians pressure finally paid off on the stroke of half time when Afolabi headed a Grant cross to the net to make it 2-0.
The home side continued where they left off in the second period with the unfortunate Bailey diverting Paddy Kirk’s cross into his own net for an own goal in the 55th minute and Afolabi getting his second of the night in the 70th minute.
The Dalymount crowd were silenced midway through the second half as the results from the other grounds started to filter through and although Bohs continued to press for more goals, there was a lost cause feel to the game as it drew to a close.
They failed to add to their lead and it finished 4-0 to the home side.
Bohemians: James Talbot, Bartlomiek Kukilowicz, Patrick Kirk, Krystian Novak, Jordan Flores (Declan McDaid 67) Cian Byrne, Danny Grant (Oluwaseun Akintunde 74), James Clarke (John O’Sullivan 74) James McManus, Dylan Connolly (Ali Coote 55), Jonathan Afloabi.
Cork City: Oliver Byrne, Gordon Walker, Jonas Hakkinen, Oran Crowe, Andri Kravchuk (Ben Worman 63), Sam Bailey (John O’ Donavan 55) Conor Drinan, Malik Djiksteel (Jaze Kabia 55), Cian Murphy, Ruairi Keating (Jaden Umeh 74) Babatunde Owolabi (Barry Coffey 63)
Referee: Neil Doyle
Player of the Match: Jonathan Afolabi (Bohemians)
Attendance: 4,083.