Caomhán O’Connell reports from Eamonn Deacy Park
THE AULD TRIANGLE will chime around the Aviva Stadium on 12 November as Bohemians deservedly advanced to the showcase of Irish football with a professional performance in Eamonn Deacy Park.
Dylan Connolly bundled the ball home in injury time of the first half for a goal that the class of the Bohs attacking trio warranted.
Jonathan Afolabi and Ali Coote had both rattled the woodwork before this as United lived dangerously. The formula finally clicked when Afolabi stole clear from Maurice Nugent and put it on a plate for the flying Connolly.
Outside of this, United were right in the contest. The strength of Wassim Aouachria caused early consternation for the visitors. United sought to isolate him on Kacper Radkowski and the Polish defender picked up an early yellow card to heap more pressure on him.
James Talbot remained untroubled from the accruing set pieces and the intensity ratcheted up as the game became more stretched in the second quarter. David Hurley and Stephen Walsh were close with two long-range efforts for the home team.
Neil Doyle dished out six yellow cards in the first as tensions threatened to boil over on occasion. A baying home crowd demanded red when James Clarke flew in to a tackle in front of the main stand. The ref kept his cool and retained the full complement.
The United back four were not as cool under a long ball from Radkowski after the break. Afolabi got on the end of it and will have been disappointed to hit a tame effort at a grateful Brendan Clarke.
The Polish centre-half would open the tie up further when he got his marching orders inside the hour mark after a coming together with Stephen Walsh that was hotly contested by the visitors.
Understandably, Bohs retreated thereafter. There were promising deliveries from a home team desperate for an equaliser but James Talbot was largely untroubled.
In fact, it was his opposite number who had to keep out a Connolly effort after the winger drove into the box. Krystian Nowak was even closer but his header from a corner crept just over.
The home fans craved an opportunity to get into the game and the biggest roar of the afternoon came when seven additional minutes were announced.
Their big chance came when talisman Walsh was hauled to the ground in the box by Keith Buckley. However, referee Doyle kept his counsel and it was curtains for a brave home side.
Galway United: B Clarke; McCormack, Nugent (Slevin 55), Brouder, Donelon (O’ Keefe 75); Dervin, Borden (Lomboto 75), Hurley, McCarthy (Clarke 86); Walsh, Aouachria (Manley 75)
Bohemian FC: Talbot; Kukulowicz (McDonnell 87), Nowak, Radkowski, Kirk; Buckley, Clarke (O’ Sullivan 87), Flores (McDaid 87); Connolly (Grant 75), Afolabi, Coote (Byrne 61)
Ref: N Doyle.
Written by Caomhán O’Connell and posted on the42.ie
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say