Bohemians 2 UCD 0:MAYBE IT was just professional courtesy when Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon predicted a tough game for his side at Dalymount Park last night but he was comprehensively wide of the mark.
Anyone tempted along last night on the basis of his estimation that UCD would test his increasingly impressive-looking side might reasonably have looked for their money back at the end of a terribly one-sided game.
As the final whistle sounded and the players made their way off, it seemed remarkable that Bohemians had not won by more.
Having extended their unbeaten run in the league to 16 games, thanks to goals from Owen Heary and Killian Brennan, however, and moved two points clear at the top of the table it seems unlikely that Fenlon did too much complaining afterwards in the dressingroom.
Pete Mahon, on the other hand, can be under no illusions about how much his side needs to improve if they are to steer themselves clear of relegation this year and the only consolation will have been the news of Galway United's heavy defeat to Derry City at Terryland Park.
Still, that will have done little to make up for the fact that, having left it late to salvage something from the Cobh game last week, the students rather tamely played their part in ensuring things were all but wrapped up inside the opening half hour here.
Poor defending contributed to both of the home side's first-half goals and almost without breaking sweat Bohemians found themselves two-up at the break for the first time in the league this season.
By the time the first goal arrived, Fenlon's men had already peppered the UCD goal with shots from mid range while the couple of floated crossed they had managed from wide positions had left the visiting back four looking decidedly uncomfortable.
Repeatedly UCD stood off opponents, giving the likes of Killian Brennan and Neale Fenn time and space to line up shots while they consistently misjudged long crosses, allowing them to reach Bohemians players beyond the far post from where the ball would be turned back causing mayhem around Matt Gregg's six-yard box.
The goalkeeper himself was having a decent enough game and did particularly well in the dying seconds to keep a swerving Jason Byrne free-kick out but neither he nor any of his defenders did much to prevent Fenn's corner reaching Heary for the opening goal 22 minutes in.
There were plenty of bodies close by but the right back was still allowed a virtually clear header with the ball bouncing just short of the line before flying in.
Within eight minutes the lead was doubled with Fenn this time crossed from the right, Conor Kenna badly mistimed his attempt to make what should have been a rather straightforward interception and Brennan merrily tapped home his eighth league goal of the season.
At this stage it really looked as if we might be in for a rout but to their credit UCD steadied themselves a little in the run up to half-time and might even have pulled one back just before the break when Ronan Finn's long, low shot was parried well by Brian Murphy who then had to move quickly to gather as Paul Byrne and Pat McWalter chased up the loose ball.
Nothing much about the pattern of play changed after the restart with the home side continuing to dominate in terms of both possession and chances created but the students still managed to go close again 53 minutes in when a tidy piece of build-up work ended with Shane Fitzgerald being released into the box for a shot which he sent well over.
Not long afterwards, even a few of the home supporters might have been lamenting the miss for the contest became increasingly lifeless, as Bohemians knocked the ball around all too comfortably in the midfield area and looked rather happy to coast through to the end with their two-goal lead in tact.
BOHEMIANS:B Murphy; O Heary, T Heary, Oman, Powell; A Murphy, Rossiter (Singh, 82 mins), O'Donnell, Brennan; Crowe (Byrne, 75 mins), Fenn.
UCD:Gregg; Kenna, McNally, McMillan, Stevens; Fitzgerald, McFaul (Bolger, 75 mins), Finn, Doyle (O'Reilly, 68 mins); McWalter, Byrne (O'Neill, 61 mins).
Referee:P Tuite (Dublin).
