Bohemians 2 - 1 UCD
Credit:
Bohemians' 2013 campaign started brightly after the Gypsies were 2-1 victors against ten man UCD at Dalymount Park on Friday night.
Ex-UCD player Chris Lyons was fouled by Mark Langtry after being played through by Keith Buckley. Referee Rob Rogers deemed Langtry to be the last man and showed him a straight red. Lyons then sent goalkeeper Ger Barron the wrong way to claim the honour of Bohemian’s first League goal for the 2013 season.
Early season optimism made way for a sluggish first twenty minutes which was dictated by the heavy pitch and thickening fog. UCD had the majority of possession during the opening exchanges with Sean Russell impressing for the Students on the left wing. Their best chance of the period came when Dean Delany was forced to flap at a Dean Clarke corner.
The students were forced to alter their tactics after being reduced to ten men with Russell moving to left back. Bohs made the most of the one man advantage, and had particular joy attacking the right hand channel through Derek Pender and Keith Buckley. It was up this side that their next chance stemmed when a Ryan McEvoy cross landed on the lap of Darragh Hanaphy who could only direct the ball wide from six yards out.
The extra space created by the sending off brought about three chances in a five minute spell prior to the interval. A Stephen Traynor cross resulted in a scramble 12 yards out and the ball fell to Kevin Devaney whose shot hit the right hand post.
Up at the other end good interplay between Clarke and David McMillan saw the latter having a strike from 16 yards which was well saved by Delany. The final action of the half saw Barron parry a Ryan McEvoy free kick wide of his left hand post.
Bohs began the second half as they finished the first with Hanaphy and Lyons going close within three minutes of the restart.
UCD, who had seen little of the ball since the sending off, got back on terms on 55 minutes. Delany fumbled a Robert Benson shot before dragging down the incoming McMillan who was about to pounce on the rebound. The angle of the foul was Delany’s saving grace as unlike Langtry before him he only saw yellow. McMillan slotted the penalty home himself to make it 1-1.
The introduction of Karl Moore just before the hour mark added extra energy to a Bohs side searching for a decisive second goal. That came on 64 minutes after a great ball from left back Luke Byrne played in substitute Moore up the left flank. His cross found Lyons who managed to scramble the ball to Devaney who fired to the net from 10 yards out.
Despite further chances for Buckley and another effort rebounding off the woodwork for Devaney, Bohs were unable to find a third goal which would leave them comfortable entering into the final quarter.
With time running out McMillan fired over from a free kick for the visitors, before the last kick of the game saw substitute Robert Creevy having a powerful effort cleared from the Bohs goalmouth.
Bohemians: Dean Delany; Derek Pender, Owen Heary, Roberto Lopes, Luke Byrne; Keith Buckley, Ryan McEvoy, Kevin Devaney, Stephen Traynor (Michael Barker 70); Chris Lyons (Dave Scully 87), Darragh Hanaphy (Karl Moore 58).
Subs not used: Shane Murray, Ciaran Nangle, Stephen Paisley, Greg Murray (GK)
Booked: Dean Delany.
UCD: Ger Barron; Hugh Douglas (Gary Burke 78), David O’Connor (c), Tomas Boyle, Mark Langtry; James Kavanagh, Craig Walsh (Robert Creevy 55), Robert Benson, Sean Russell; Dean Clarke; David McMillan.
Subs not used: Barry McCabe, Tyrone McNelis, Mark McGinley (GK), Samir Belhout, Dinny Corcoran.
Booked: None.
Sent Off: Mark Langtry
Referee: Rob Rogers.
Attendance: 1,368.
Extratime Man of the Match: Chris Lyons (Bohemians).
