Nesovic's finishing touch

Bohemians won't care about the manner of victory unduly; winning at Dalymount Park was the only commodity that mattered. Drogheda United were game if limited adversaries, and it was only the torpor from which the home side struggled to escape for large stretches of the match that created a contest of sorts.

The fare was dull, liberally sprinkled with errors as both sides struggled to sustain any sort of rhythm. As cup ties go it was more buckling than swash.

A preoccupation for most of the meagre attendance in the first half was avoiding eye strain in trying to track the aerial ping pong in the glare of the floodlights. Defenders on both sides were well schooled in the "row Z" philosophy, even on several occasions when the pressure was more imagined than real.

There was a laziness to the game in general, players opting to release the ball hurriedly and for the most part aimlessly. Bohemians favoured a more direct approach, looking for full backs Tony O'Connor and Simon Webb to play the channels where Glen Crowe and recent signing Alex Nesovic toiled reasonably productively.

Yet on securing possession the Bohemians front two got little support, and this allowed Drogheda the scope to regroup. On a limited diet of possession, Crowe was easily his side's most accomplished performer, but his intelligent link play, striking as it was, was surrounded by poverty of imagination.

Drogheda were a little neater, a little tidier in possession, but their patterns lacked menace, performed largely in the safety of their half. It was left to big striker Trevor Vaughan to try to out-muscle the Bohemians defence.

The best chance of the half for the visitors fell to Barry Cooney, who rode the challenges of Dave Hill and Simon Webb, but the ball got caught between his legs and his ensuing shot lacked the pace to trouble Wayne Russell.

Crowe had an early chance for Bohemians, put clean through by David Morrison; he elected for precision but his side-footed effort was tipped around the post by goalkeeper Cathal Warfield.

Trevor Molloy headed over from a Crowe cross before the home side snatched the lead on 45 minutes. Webb's superbly struck inswinging corner reduced Warfield to an ugly flap and Shaun Maher was able to head home unmolested from four yards.

Bohemians captain Kevin Hunt continued to police midfield with authority, winning many of the squabbles for possession. A beautifully worked free kick on 71 minutes culminated in a goalmouth scramble constituted Drogheda's best chance of an equaliser.

The second 45 minutes had little more to recommend it than the first, though the litany of misplaced passes, rushed shooting and hit and hope football was eventually broken by Bohemians' second goal from Nesovic - a fitting way to celebrate his debut - on 83 minutes. The ball was driven across the box by Crowe and Nesovic was on hand to tap home.

Bohemians: Russell, O'Connor, Maher, Hill, Webb, Molloy, Hunt, Hopper, Morrison, Crowe, Nesovic. Substitutes: O'Keeffe for Hopper (57 mins). Markey for Crowe (84 mins).

Drogheda United: Warfield, Bradley, Creedon, Thomson (capt), Cronin, Butler, Quinless, Murphy, Byrne, Vaughan, Cooney. Substitutes: Hannon for Cooney 81 mins; Farrell for Byrne 81 mins.

Referee: J Stacey (Athlone).