Visitors flattered by scoreline

For more than three quarters of this UEFA Cup first round tie it appeared that Roddy Collins and his crew might leave his critics scratching their heads once again.

Outclassed on paper to an overwhelming degree and outnumbered from just before half-time when Trevor Molloy was sent off, the Dubliners nevertheless managed to make a highly competitive and entertaining match of what should have been stroll for their Bundesliga opponents.

At the final whistle the scoreline was much as might have been expected at the outset but in reality the game had hardly gone to plan for a side that, for all their internationals, were flattered by the 3-0 lead they amassed in the space of eight minutes in the second half.

Glen Crowe's injury time penalty, awarded after he had been taken down by Hany Ramzy, added a bit of balance to the result but afterwards there was no attempt by anybody in the Bohemians camp to paper over the fact that they were beaten by a team that had played their hand well enough to pave their way to the second round on Thursday week when the second leg is played.

"The difference between this and last time," sighed Collins as he reflected on a brave performance, "was that we conned Aberdeen but we couldn't manage it against this lot because they were just too clever. Against the Scots we played with one up front for a while and they left three at the back, tonight they pushed on so we had to throw a striker on and try to push on again. With 11 men that's difficult but with 10 you're just left praying that everybody can hang in there."

Had Molloy not become involved in the fairly minor exchange with Harry Koch before the break that resulted in his sending off they might just have taken something out of the game. But had the former St Patrick's striker found the net with either of the first half chances that came his way there really is no telling how it all might have ended up.

His best opportunity came after just 15 seconds, too soon he admitted for him to expect it but there were other chances for the locals to sneak in front over the course of the half, the best of them coming just after the half hour when Simon Webb and Kevin Hunt linked up on the edge of the box and set Dave Morrison up for a header which Georg Koch did remarkably well to keep out of his net.

In between the two incidents the Germans had one strong spell when they threatened to take a firm grip on the contest but for stretches too they had a tendency to look disinterested with Jorgen Pettersson extending himself only occasionally and the French international Youri Djorkaeff hardly at all.

At the back Tony O'Connor and Shaun Maher both coped well with the pressure they were put under as did, a couple of worrying first half incidents aside, Dave Hill.

But it was in front of them that the home side was really taking the battle to their opponents with Stephen Caffrey, Kevin Hunt and, in attack, Crowe scurrying about endlessly in the hope of winning possession and, when they did, then doing very well to push the ball into space.

Until the first goal, scored by Marco Reich after Wayne Russell had made fine stops in quick succession from Pettersson and then Djorkaeff, their efforts were still looking potentially good enough to grab them a draw.

Russell's continued heroics though weren't enough to prevent things falling apart for long enough to allow Marian Hristov and Igli Tare to triple the lead.

For the remaining 11 minutes the niggle that had crept into the game long before Molloy had been shown his red card remained but the Germans were coasting now. Ramzy's rather sleepy challenge on Crowe late on earned him a booking and when he repeated the trick inside the area the striker sent Koch the wrong way. Collins described the spot kick as "the booby prize" and to judge by the visitors reaction when it was awarded, it's fairly safe to assume they agreed.

BOHEMIANS: Russell; O'Connor (Shelley, 90 mins), Maher, Hill; Morrison (Williamson, 65 mins), Hunt, O'Brien (O'Neill, 56 mins), Caffrey, Webb; Crowe, Molloy. Goals: Crowe pen, 94.

KAISERSLAUTERN: Koch; Komljenovic, Ramzy, Koch; Basler (Reich, 19 mins), Pettersson, Grammuzis (Klose, halftime), Hritov, Strasser; Djorkaeff, Lokvenc (Tare, 71 mins). Goals: Reich 71, Hristov 74, Tare 79.

Referee: C Agius (Malta)