Mansaram catches visitors and spectators napping

League of Ireland Premier Division: Bohemians 1 Waterford United 0Prior to this, the broadcasters had enjoyed mixed fortunes with games at Dalymount Park this season, with the recent visit of St Patrick's Athletic throwing up a decent night's entertainment though not nearly good enough, one suspects, to erase the rather painful memory out Montrose way of the campaign's opener against Drogheda United.

For the most part this was in the Drogheda category. In what were admittedly blustery conditions, both sides managed to string together a few decent passes, but neither seemed capable of adding a finish to what they'd started once they'd gotten close to their opponents' box.

It's hard to know how many persisted with it at home, but if League of Ireland grounds boasted monitors in press boxes the reporters would have been flicking to see what else was on.

All of which would have would proven a little awkward when it came time to write the whole affair up, because a game with nothing but the odd half-chance to speak of prior to injury-time in the first half produced a memorable, if not quite magical, goal in the last few seconds before the interval.

Dessie Byrne had had a rather erratic first period with many of Waterford's more promising build-ups passing through his territory. For the goal, though, his cross was good, while its target, Darren Mansaram, did particularly well to turn the ball into the bottom corner as Alan Keely, who he was leaning into, gave way and he tumbled, with his back to goal, on to the turf.

It all must have felt a little harsh to Waterford who'd come close to matching their hosts in terms of half-chances created, even if they had failed to actually force Brian Murphy into what might properly be described as a save.

That must have disappointed their manager, Gareth Cronin, for his players found possession easy enough to come by in their own half thanks to a steady stream of misplaced passes by their opponents.

Having moved the ball to within 40 yards of Murphy's area, however, their attempts to send Vinny Sullivan racing clear of the home side's centre halves only really came to anything once, 25 minutes in, and on that occasion the striker hit a rushed shot straight at the Bohemians goalkeeper.

The Dubliners did a little better than that twice before the goal, with Glen Crowe forcing Dean Delaney into a decent stop from a tight angle when he might have been better to cross for Mansaram and the former Sligo Rovers striker then hitting the post from 10 yards out.

Things didn't change much after the break with Bohemians having just about the better of it, while Waterford lacked the punch up front to pull themselves level.

Their best chance of the night came from a wind-assisted Delaney kick-out that caught the home side's centre backs napping but also Robert Brosnan in two minds. When the United striker finally challenged Murphy after a high bounce the ball flew kindly into the path of Sullivan whose close-range shot was cleared off the line by Owen Heary.

The home support and TV audience still watching at the end should have been rewarded for their persistence with a second for the locals during the final seconds.

Fergal Harkin's finish wasn't quite what was required, though.

BOHEMIANS:Murphy; O Heary, Burns, Pooley, Byrne; Kingsbury (Harkin, 32 mins), T Heary, Hunt, Kelly (Powell, 66 mins); Crowe (Fenn, 77 mins), Mansaram.

WATERFORD UNITED:Delaney; Flynn, Browne, Keely, Hederman; Mulcahy, Warren, McCarthy, Harte (Kavanagh, 72 mins); Sullivan, Brosnan,

Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).

Premier Division

Bohemians(1) 1 Waterford Utd(0) 0

Mansaram 45

P W D L F A Pts

St Patrick's 15 9 3 3 23 11 30

Drogheda Utd 14 8 4 2 21 13 28

Bohemians 15 7 5 3 16 7 26

Shamrock Rvrs 14 7 3 4 15 8 24

Cork City 13 5 5 3 15 13 20

Sligo Rovers 15 6 1 8 14 21 19

UCD 15 4 6 5 17 15 18

Derry City 15 4 6 5 11 13 18

Galway Utd 15 3 6 6 12 14 15

Bray Wanderers 13 4 3 6 10 14 15

Waterford Utd 14 3 3 8 9 19 12

Longford Town* 14 1 5 8 8 23 2

* Deducted six points