Aggrey tops scoring chart

Bohemians 2 Longford Town 0:  The unlikely figure of centre half Jimmy Aggrey became the goal-scoring hero for Bohemians last night.

Aggrey was one of the four Bohemians players with the dubious honour of being the club's top scorer with one goal before last night, but he took the honour all for himself with a cool 65th-minute finish after a Kevin Hunt shot had struck the post.

In injury time Stephen Ward made it 2-0 when he slotted home after a Fergal Harkin shot had been cleared off the line by Seán Dillon to make the result safe.

The victory means Bohemians are out of the bottom two as they made it four games unbeaten, though it would be wrong to suggest they have turned the corner just yet.

The game was scrappy for long periods and although Bohemians were the better side, Longford were guilty of missing some gilt-edged chances in the first half.

The visitors created, and missed, a great chance in the 10th minute when Shane Barrett beat the offside trap only to scuff his shot, allowing Matt Gregg to save by practically sitting on the ball.

Seven minutes later Andy Myler was also guilty of a glaring miss when he headed wastefully wide when picked out unmarked by an Alan Kirby cross after the winger did well to skip past Dessie Byrne on the right wing.

Up until then, Bohemians had failed to test Stephen O'Brien in the Longford goal as the visitors defended in numbers and with little trouble. But he was tested in the 24th minute when Fergal Harkin's drilled cross picked out Stephen Ward, who beat O'Connor in the air only to see his header drop nicely into O'Brien's arms.

The home side then had two half chances from set-pieces, Dominic Foley and Ken Oman having headers deflected wide.

The second half was more open but lack of confidence in front of goal was proving costly for both teams.

Fergal Harkin saw his weak cross-shot easily saved by O'Brien in the 55th minute after he skipped into the box before Stephen Ward headed a Harkin corner well wide a minute later.

But the goal finally arrived in the 65th minute when, from a dubious free-kick, Harkin fired over low, the ball deflecting to Hunt, whose volley rebounded off the post for Aggrey to fire home, before Ward wrapped up the win in the last minute.

BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Rice, Oman, Aggrey, Byrne; Harkin, Hunt, Farrelly, Ward; Foley, Grant.

LONGFORD TOWN: O'Brien; O'Connor (Cronin 85), Ferguson, Paisley, Dillon; Kirby, Byrne, Martin, Kirby; Barrett (Lavine 78), Myler (Baker 78).

Referee: I Stokes (Dublin).