Bohemians fail to make dominance count

UCD 0
Bohemians 0

Bohemians failed to make their sheer dominance pay as they left the UCD Bowl utterly frustrated.

It might, indeed, have been worse as UCD could have snatched an unlikely win in stoppage time, but substitute Chris Mulhall shot weakly at Dean Delaney.

To compound Bohemians’ ire, Dinny Corcoran still had a late, late chance to take home the three points only for UCD defender Ian Ryan to make a terrific block.

Despite pinning UCD back from the off, Bohemians struggled to put any substance to their dominant first-half display.

Derek Pender had an effort from a tight angle cleared off the line by Gareth Matthews while Roberto Lopes hit a crisp drive over the bar.

Owen Heary’s side really should have been ahead on 23 minutes when the impressive Kevin Devaney carved an opening on the right to set up Eoin Wearen who drilled wide when he had time and space to have at least hit the target.

College defender James Kavanagh then made a telling block to Steven Beattie’s shot on the turn just before the half hour as Bohemians remained well on top.

Frustration rose

Bohemians lost Anto Murphy to a suspected broken ankle just before halt-time. And their frustration rose two minutes into the second half when Paddy Kavanagh missed the proverbial sitter, side-footing wide from another Devaney set-up.

Devaney surged past four defenders on 68 minutes only to be thwarted by a last ditched block.

A minute later, UCD goalkeeper Niall Corbett made the save of the night to push Aidan Price’s header round a post from a Kavanagh cross.

UCD: Corbett; Douglas, Ryan, Kavanagh, Matthews; Molloy (Belhout, 75), Creevy, Crowe, O'Halloran (Ben Mohamed, 67); Benson; Cannon (Mulhall, 85).

Bohemians: Delany; Murphy (Mulcahy, 45+1), D. Byrne, Price, Pender; Devaney (J. Byrne, 80), Lopes, Wearen, Kavanagh (Moore, 75); Beattie, Corcoran.

Referee: Kevin O'Regan (Kerry).