UCD 1 Bohemians 1
A fair result that silences any talk of Bohemians’ title credentials. Just as Jake Doyle’s late equaliser silenced the 1,500 visiting fans.
Some way for Doyle to celebrate his 18th birthday. Devine Izekor scuffed an initial chance for UCD to snatch a point but Bohs’ sloppiness was punished in the 89th minute by Daniel Norris sprinting down the left wing and picking out Doyle, who was afforded enough space to control and slot past James Talbot.
Jonathan Afolabi appeared to have sneaked three points for the league leaders. The 23-year-old needed his second goal of the season as much, if not more, than his team need the former Celtic forward to catch fire.
Afolabi’s strike was clean and timely. Not 10 minutes into the second half, Dylan Connolly hared down the right, squaring low for Afolabi who stepped over the ball before neatly finishing Declan McDaid’s assist.
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A pattern is developing. Shelbourne’s 2-1 win over Cork City keeps Derry City sandwiched between the four old Dublin clubs. Bohs still sit on top but only three points clear entering the crucial summer months.
Back on campus, the players were impacted by a sandy, bumpy pitch as the sun set over Belfield. Two UCD injuries in the first half put the rugby surface under scrutiny as Mark Dignam was forced off, while Brendan Barr recovered from what initially looked a serious clash with the turf.
The novelty of sampling university life made up for a poor spectacle. If any more evidence was needed about the rising popularity of domestic football, see the Bohs faithful journeying across town to fill the UCD Bowl. “Sold out tonight,” tweeted the hosts. “Hopefully a few away fans also managed to get a ticket.”
Bohs responded: “Only the lucky ones unfortunately.”
No simmering rivalry online then. Bohs took up where they left off in Drogheda last week, playing poorly.
Besides Kian Moore’s early hot hand to deny Dylan Connolly and Grant Horton efforts, the opening exchanges did not feed into the amateur versus professional narrative, except for the students’ final ball into lone striker Danu Kinsella-Bishop. A little more poise and Andy Myler’s side could have doubled their victories this season to two from 12 outings.
Maybe Bohs were spooked by the outright favourites tag after a fantastic start to the Declan Devine-Pat Fenlon era. Maybe reality is beginning to bite as recent form is not reflected by their league standing, with April yielding three victories but defeat in Dublin derbies against St Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers.
This will also feel like a loss.
Maybe the absentee list that included Ali Coote, Afolabi initially, and the suspended Jordan Flores was the simplest explanation for this performance.
Afolabi’s physicality, when introduced at half-time, gave big UCD centre half Jack Keaney a whole new set of problems. The goal would have kept Bohs six points clear of the champions, five ahead of Derry City, but Doyle had other ideas.
Shamrock Rovers will come strong in May, starting Monday at the Brandywell when Stephen Bradley’s men seek to address recent defeats to their chief rival.
Bohs entertain Cork City at Dalymount Park with Kris Twardek and captain Keith Buckley expected to start. Both came off the bench here but failed to bring enough authority to a ragged affair. Mini-crisis for the League of Ireland pacesetters.
UCD: Moore; Barr, Keaney, Wells, Dempsey; Dignam, Higgins (Izekor, 75); Clarke (Doyle, 61), Nolan, Norris; Kinsella-Bishop (Behan, h-t).
BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Horton, Nowak, Radkowski, Kirk; McDonnell (Clarke, 62), McManus (Buckley, h-t); Connolly, O’Sullivan (Afolabi, h-t), McDaid (Twardek, 62); Williams.
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan.
