SHELBOURNE 1 (R Baker 9) BOHEMIANS 3 (Keegan 11, Heary 42, Hawkins 55)
Reigning champions Bohemians came from behind to climb to the summit of the Premier Division ahead of rivals Shelbourne with seven games remaining, as a wonder goal by Thomas Heary just short of half-time helped them to their sixth win in eight games.
The home side lacked cutting edge throughout and they weren’t aided in their search for three points by first half injuries to Kevin Doherty and Ollie Cahill. Midfielder Stuart Byrne started and was immediately in action with Bohs’ Kevin Hunt bringing him down after three minutes and earning the game’s first yellow card.
Shels’ top scorer Jason Byrne had a double chance after 8 minutes, on his right and left sides, following a cross from captain Owen Heary. But sixty seconds later the home side had the lead goal when Bohs’ goalkeeper Shay kelly misjudged a cross and Richie Baker, starting in place of Wes Hoolahan, was on hand to tap home from eight yards.
Baker’s third of the season was cancelled out two minutes later as a fretful period of action ended with another goalkeeping blunder, this time from Shels’ Steve Williams. He lost a left-sided corner kick to the far post, into a misguiding wind, and striker Paul Keegan directed the loose ball home from close range to equalise.
The busy Baker forced Kelly into a great save on 19 minutes, following good work by Shelbourne’s Dave Rogers. Tony McCarthy came on for the injured Doherty just before the half-hour and Wes Hoolahan was brought on soon after onto the left flank for Shelbourne, as the home side were suddenly 2-1 down.
The Gypsies’ defender Thomas Heary scored his second league goal in three games, with three minutes to go before the break, and what a goal it was. Reminiscent of his screaming FAI Cup semi-final replay strike from 30 yards, Heary beat one player from the same sort of range, and as the ball bounced up, he smacked it on the rise past Williams for the lead for Stephen Kenny’s men.
Out the blue Bohemians were heading for the top of the table and they pressed home that advantage in the second half as the Shels’ challenge fell off the rails. The Bohemians’ defence and midfield held out resolutely as man-of-the-match Colin Hawkins stepped up ten minutes after the break to net Bohs’ third following another error from a Dave Morrison corner by Williams.
Frustratingly Shelbourne failed to muster any further goal chances of note and Bohemians fans could be heard singing ‘we are top of the league’ at the final whistle. It may be a first psychological blow to Shelbourne’s title run, with the 2002 champions just a point ahead of them now, but both sides must meet again on November 14 at Dalymount Park.
WATERFORD UNITED 2 (Sullivan 1, Waters 69) UCD 2 (McAuley pen 7, Frost og 35)
Waterford ended a three-game losing streak but only just, as an erratic performance from the Blues at a blustery RSC almost gave Pete Mahon’s UCD their second win of the season against them.
It’s hard to know what’s wrong with the water down in the ‘sunny’ south east, but bizarrely Jimmy McGeough’s Blues have offered up three own goals to their opponents in their last four games now.
Tonight started well for them with surely one of the quickest goals in National League history after just 45 seconds. Vinny Sullivan netted his fourth of the season, latching onto a cut back on the UCD end line by Alan Reilly, following build-up play involving Neale Fenn and Daryl Murphy, and Ger McLoughlin who started the move.
UCD, without a win since their 2-0 defeat of Derry in late September, struck back on seven minutes following the concession of a corner by the home side, as a Tony McDonnell header crashed off the United post of was cleared.
The subsequent corner was swung in and defender John Frost stooped low to head away but referee Ian Stokes spotted his hand connecting with the ball and the Students had just a chance to equalise. They duly did with Robert McAuley’s third spot kick success of the season, as he placed a left-footed effort under the body of Waterford goalkeeper Pat Holden.
Midfielder Pat Sullivan went wide with a brilliantly struck 20-yard effort on 19 minutes for College, before Waterford helped the visitors towards their fifth league win. Centre back Frost was again involved on 35 minutes when a McAuley corner was parried by Holden only for Frost to head backwards into his own net.
Waterford’s Vinny Sullivan was through on Pat Jennings’ goal with four minutes remaining in the first half, but his attempt to square for the advancing Kevin O’Brien with the goal gaping, fell short.
Blues’ boss McGeough rearranged his eleven at the break with midfielder Kevin Waters on for O’Brien and the impressive Fenn moving up front to partner Daryl Murphy. And it was the substitute Waters who drew them level in the 69th minute when his left-footed shot deflected cruelly off Pat Sullivan and past the stranded Jennings in the UCD goal.
Further drama was to follow as two minutes from time, as a push by Wayen Fitzgerald on Gavin Whelan gave UCD a second penalty. But Blues’ stopper Holden produced heroics, saving his second spot kick in the space of a month, as Robert McAuley’s shot to Holden’s right was brilliantly palmed away by the Waterford stand-in.