Bohemians 2
Drogheda United 1
DALYMOUNT PARK WAS the last place anyone would have expected Drogheda United’s summer revival to come to a halt but goals from Karl Moore and Jason Byrne either side of a Gavin Brennan strike saw Bohemians win just their second home game of the season.
The visitors came into this game on a high, winning seven points from their last three matches while the hosts were coming into it with four points from three games.
It was an uneventful opening to the match until Moore’s strike invigorated both sides in the 14th minute. Drogheda were playing a high line and had a couple of warnings before the opener with Bohemians breaking through the opposition’s defensive line twice without any end result. Third time lucky it was.
14 minutes in and the home side worked the ball across the pitch from a throw-in before a clever ball from striker Dinny Corcoran was sent over the top for Moore to run on to. Moore burst through with pace before producing a wonderful finish to beat Michael Schlingerman.
Corcoran himself had two chances to give his side some breathing space but was denied by the crossbar each time. The first was in the 27th minute after the visitors failed to clear from a corner.After the rebound Dave Mulcahy found Corcoran whose smashing volley left the bar rattling for some time after.
Just over ten minutes later, United were looking shaky again attempting to defend an opposition corner. Moore put in another brilliant ball and Corcoran shook his marker to head from close range but again the framework denied the forward.
United’s chances were few and far between and any that were on target failed to work Dean Delany, epitomised by Gary O’Neill’s effort just short of the half-hour mark. Gavin Brennan played a super ball over the top which O’Neill volleyed first time but straight into Delany’s arms.
The visitors started the second half the better side with a lot more possession but with very little end result until the 63rd minute. Gavan Holohan sent the ball in from a corner which was punched away by Delany but only as far as Gavin Brennan who volleyed it home off the underside of the bar.
It wasn’t level for long. Five minutes later centre-half Alan McNally lost possession on the flank to the excellent Moore who played a perfect ball across to an unmarked Jason Byrne who was bounding towards the far post. The striker’s angled drive gave his side the lead again.
Just minutes after the goal both sides were reduced to ten men. It was an off the ball incident which seemed only to be spotted by the fourth official. Referee Anthony Buttimer consulted his assistant before issuing red cards to Steven Beattie and Brennan.
The early baths killed the game but Bohemians manager Owen Heary will be relieved to have stopped the rot while it’s back to the drawing board for his oppposite number Damien Richardson.
BOHEMIANS: Delany, Beattie, D.Byrne, Price, Pender, Devaney (Buckley 90+1), Mulcahy (C), Lopes, Moore, J.Byrne (McEvoy 78), Corcoran (Evans 85). Substitutes: Memery, Hyland, Walsh, Shanahan.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Schlingerman, Grimes (C), McNally, Brady (O’Brien 72), Holohan, O’Neill, Brennan, Walshe (Brady 85), McGuigan, Doyle, McGlynn. Substitutes: Andrews, Crowley, O’Conner, Kierans, Connolly.
Referee: Anthony Buttimer.