Bossekota strikes to give Limerick the win and extend Bohemians’ bad run

A fifth goal of the season from Axel Bossekota gave Limerick back-to-back wins as struggling Bohemians' run without a league victory was stretched to ten games.

Striker Bossekota provided the telling moment in a generally drab game with its only goal on 64 minutes.

Bohemians appeared a little distracted having just made a substitution as Bossekota ran through onto a Danny Galbraith pass. And though there was a suspicion of his having controlled the ball with a hand, the striker swept it home with aplomb.

Bohemians chased the game hard in the latter stages but couldn't find away past the inspired Barry Ryan in the Limerick goal.

Ryan initially thwarted Kevin Devaney with a good save with his feet on his left-hand post on 74 minutes.

But the veteran keeper saved his real heroics for the dying minutes, making a terrific one-handed stop on the line from a Dave Scully header right on 90 minutes before again saving well with his feet from Derek Pender four minutes into stoppage time as Limerick held out for a fortuitous win.

Despite Bohemians looking decidedly unsure of themselves at the back early on, Limerick failed to expose them, wasting the chance of a tenth minute lead. Bossekota's control from Galbraith's cross was poor with Shane Tracy's follow-up shot never likely to trouble Dean Delany in the home goal.

If suspect at the back, Bohemians were enterprising going forward. Following a sweeping move down the right new signing Conor Murphy should have done better than plant a weak header off target from a Shane Murray cross that deserved better.

Limerick continued to trouble the inexperienced Bohemians rearguard, though, and Darragh Rainsford wasn’t far off target with a volley following a poor clearance on 32 minutes.

Bohemians remained dangerous on the counter and Pender stung the palms of Ryan with drive from distance six minutes before the break.

Back at the other end, Delany saved well with his feet from Bossekota after a mistake by Keith Buckley gifted him the ball for perhaps the best opening of a disappointing first half.

Delany was there again minutes into the second half to tip over a rising drive from Galbraith before Bossekota won it.

BOHEMIANS: Delany; Albemarle (Devaney, 63), Lopes, Byrne, Barker; S. Murray (Scully, 70); Moore, Buckley, Pender, Reynor (Mulcahy, 51); Murphy.
LIMERICK: Ryan; Kelly, Williams, Folan, Tracy (Costelloe, 52); Galbraith, Gamble, Bradley (O'Leary, 63), Bossekota; Rainsford, Curran.
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).
Attendance: 1,147.