League Report: Bohemians 0 - 1 Cork City

You can view a slideshow of pictures from the game, as taken by Tom Beary, by clicking here.

Bohemians’s dream of European football was extinguished on Friday night as a vigorous 0-1 loss at Dalymount Park earned visitors Cork City second place in the Premier Division.

The game’s narrative was driven by the blatantly transparent threat posed by Bohemians in-form striker Ismahil Akinade.

The striker’s consistent battles with Dan Murray played out in brutal fashion throughout the game, Murray earning a place in referee Neil Doyle’s book no less than twenty-two minutes into the game.

The game’s opening chance came after three minutes as Lorcan Fitzgerald drove straight through the middle of the Cork midfield, laying the ball off to Paddy Kavanagh to swing in a threatening, deep cross that met the head of Akinade to float wide.

This was followed again by Fitzgerald who, with a quick free kick on halfway, caught the Cork defence unaware, Jake Kelly then swung in a threatening ball for Akinade to head back across goal from the back post.

Both sides would lose players through injury before the interval as both Dave Mulcahy and Liam Miller were forced off.

Cork ended the half very much in control as Billy Dennehy and Stephen Beattie began to pull the Bohemians progressively unnerved defence out of shape.

First Beattie delivered an unanticipated shot from a free kick that caught all but Dean Delany unaware, as the veteran keeper dove low at his near post to parry the ball out of harm’s way, with the imposing shadow of Dan Murray ready and willing to force the ball home.

Sheppard was the leading protagonist as the half came to a close, Billy Dennehy splitting the Bohemians defence in half with a beautifully crafted through ball -  Sheppard then balancing the ball neatly between his feet before failing to open his body enough as his shot slammed into the side netting to end the half.

An incredible night’s display from Lorcan Fitzgerald continued into the second half as he dribbled gloriously past Michael McSweeney, before Roberto Lopes’s thunderbolt shot was deflected wayward and wide as Mark McNulty lay limp on the ground, the goalkeeper expecting the inevitable ripple of the net for a goal that never came.

The goal almost came for Bohemians just past the hour mark, however it was Keith Buckley’s name on the card this time as the midfielder received the ball with time and space as his allie outside the Cork City penalty area.

Buckley took control of the ball to glance up and see Mark McNulty off his line, the midfielder dipping the ball gracefully over McNulty to take its place nestling into the top corner of the goal before McNulty recovered his positioning dramatically to the ball over the crossbar at the last possible second.

Akinade then set up Fitzgerald beautifully, a combination of the night’s supreme performers, as Akinade dipped the ball over a Cork head timely into the path of Fitzgerald before the left-back took the ball in his stride to test Mark McNulty on his weaker foot.

Cork thought they had the lead moments later as Steven Beattie’s corner met the head of Mark O’Sullivan to be clawed off the line by the outstretched leg of Keith Buckley on the line, preventing a certain goal for the Leesiders.

With eight minutes to go referee Neil Doyle pointed to the spot as he deemed Anto Murphy guilty of handling the ball inside the area following Colin Healy’s shot from range. Billy Dennehy stood the test and dispatched the ball past Dean Delany sending the goalkeeper driving the wrong way to give Cork the lead after 83 minutes.

Bohemians rallied late on with ball after punted ball into the opposition box, however it was Cork who departed Dalymount with smiles plastered across their faces as they end successive seasons in second place in the Premier Division.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Eoin Wearen, Dylan Hayes (Jason Byrne

78), David Mulcahy (Derek Prendergast 12), Anto Murphy, Paddy Kavanagh, Roberto Lopes, Keith Buckley, Jake Kelly (Adam Evans 83), Ismahil Akinade

Subs not used: Lee Steacy (gk), Stephen Best, Robbie Creevy, Karl Moore

Bookings: Keith Buckley (9), Lorcan Fitzgerald (22)

Sent off: None

Cork City: Mark McNulty, John Dunlevy, Dan Murray, Ross Gaynor, Kevin O’Connor, Michael McSweeney, Stephen Beattie, Liam Miller (Darren Dennehy 35), Billy Dennehy (Chiedozie Ogbene 88)  Karl Sheppard (Colin Healy 74), Mark O’Sullivan,

Subs not used: Alan Smith (gk), Danny Morrissey, Connor Ellis, Liam Kearney

Bookings: Mark O’Sullivan (19), Dan Murray (22)

Sent off: None

Referee: Neil Doyle

Attendance: 1,904

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Lorcan Fitzgerald (Bohemians)