Bohemians 5 Galway Utd 0:GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI made his first visit to a League of Ireland match and after choosing Dalymount Park as his destination, the double champions turned on the style to demolish Galway United.
Brian Murphy was the one player truly under the spotlight after repeated calls for the Bohemians’ goalkeeper’s inclusion in the Republic of Ireland set-up. But the Waterford native had a quiet evening as those outfield took control from the off.
Bohemians coach Pat Fenlon was without his influential midfield partnership of Paul Keegan and Gary Deegan, both suspended, and Deegan will in particular have been disappointed to have missed a chance to shine in front of Trapattoni. He looks increasingly likely to move to England sooner, rather than later.
The result means Bohemians now lie eight points clear of Shamrock Rovers who have an opportunity to respond tonight at home to Dundalk, but on this evidence Fenlon’s charges will take some stopping. By the time the Irish manager had arrived 10 minutes in, Killian Brennan and Alan Murphy had tested their ranges with efforts from the edge of the box as the hosts started purposefully.
Killian Brennan was relishing being back on the left wing and his strong run led to a shot from Glen Crowe which Barry Ryan saved well after it came off the legs of Shane Guthrie.
With such an illustrious visitor in the stand it was becoming clear the double champions were intent on putting on a show as they began to sweep the ball around. Crowe turned Seán Kelly and threaded a ball through to Jason Byrne, but Ryan turned his fierce, low effort onto the post.
Nineteen minutes in and the Dubliners were in front, another period of sustained possession saw Brennan pop up on the right, find Glenn Cronin and he sent a searching cross in towards the surging Brennan who did enough to distract Ryan, allowing Anto Murphy to tap in to an empty net.
Murphy almost had a second, firing over after Crowe had teed him up, but Galway came back into the game for a period after the goal and Brian Shelley had to be alert to turn Seamus Conneely’s dangerous cross away.
Referee Alan Kelly was the centre of some controversy when he gave a free out as John Russell challenged Murphy under Mark O’Toole’s cross forcing the goalkeeper to spill the ball into his net.
The challenge was not unlike Brennan’s in the lead up to Bohs’ opener, but in truth while Kelly’s decision got Murphy out of jail, Bohemian always looked like they had more gears to go through.
Ken Oman put them in front on the stroke of half-time with a glancing header from Brennan’s corner as the hosts went in on a high.
And any hopes Ian Foster had of a recovery went out the window within two minutes of the second half whistle as Garry Breen’s pass went straight to Joseph Ndo and he didn’t hesitate in playing in Crowe, who finished well.
Three-nil up and cruising, the league leaders turned on the style but Galway did have chances with Alan Murphy firing over and Iarfhlaith Davoren shooting wide.Byrne’s dry spell continued as he fired wide while Crowe had a second ruled out for offside before a fourth goal arrived with 10 minutes remaining after Trapattoni had left.
Murphy was hauled down in the box by O’Toole after another enterprising passing move and having missed Tuesday’s penalty shootout win over Dundalk the Drogheda native made no mistake from the spot.
Brian Shelley finished the job with a minute remaining, playing a neat one-two with the impressive Cronin before squeezing a right-footed effort past Ryan.
Job done and it’s over to Rovers and while only Trapattoni knows his own mind, Bohemians could not have done any more to make an impression.
BOHEMIANS: B Murphy; Heary (McGuinness, 55 mins), Shelley, Omans, Powell; A Murphy, Cronin, Ndo, Brennan; Crowe (Madden, 76 mins), Byrne (Fenn, 63 mins).
GALWAY UNITED: Ryan; Conneely, Breen, Guthrie, O’Toole; O’Brien, Russell (McBrien, 64 mins), Kelly, Murphy (Molloy, 80 mins), Davoren; Faherty (Green, 61 mins).
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
