eircom League: Bohemians 1 Cork City 2

Central defender Murray steered the ball home from an almost impossible angle on 85 minutes after Bohemians had cleared a George O’Callaghan shot off the line from Billy Woods’ corner.

Aidan O’Keeffe almost levelled for Bohs in stoppage time, but his scuffed shot hit a post as Cork cleared to the delight of their large, raucous following.

A rip-roaring start to the game on a perfect pitch brought Bohs the lead within four minutes.

Bohs defender Dessie Byrne had just made a terrific block to deprive Joe Gamble what looked a certain goal after O’Callaghan and Neale Fenn worked a one-two to set him up, before the Gypsies broke away to score the opener.

Stephen Ward latched onto a defensive clearance down the right, got a perfectly weighted return pass from his player/boss Gareth Farrelly, to shoot home off Alan Bennett who had raced back onto the City goal line.

There was no let up on the action as Cork might have been level within three minutes; O’Callaghan’s diagonal free-kick from the right coming off the far post with no City player reacting quickly enough to steer home the rebound.

Matt Gregg kept Bohs in front with two close range stops from Fenn and Liam Kearney as Cork continued to press.

But a dreadful blunder by the Bohs’ keeper gifted Cork their equaliser on the half hour.

Gregg tried to trap Ken Oman’s 40 yard back pass but missed the ball which flew under his foot and trickled into the net off a post for a comical goal.

Bohemians: Gregg; Rice, Oman (Palmer, 55 mins.), Collins, Byrne; Harkin, Hunt, Farrelly, Kelly (O‘Keeffe, 85 mins.); Grant, Ward.

Cork City: Devine; Horgan, Bennett, Murray, Murphy; Gamble, O’Brien, O’Callaghan, Kearney (Woods, 76 mins.); O’Donovan, Fenn (Behan, 76 mins.).