Bohemians needed penalties to decide an epic Extra.ie FAI Cup second round tie with James Talbot the hero, saving the crucial penalty from opposing number Lee Steacy.

Bohemians hammered UCD by a record scoreline as new signing Andre Wright endeared himself to the Dalymount Park faithful with a spectacular four-goal haul.

Bohemians produced an extraordinary comeback at Dalymount Park last night to progress into the second round of the FAI Cup.

Dundalk may well enjoy playing on the Brandywell’s big pitch, but Declan Devine insists the league leaders won’t find his Derry City a soft touch when they revisit Foyleside tonight.

James Rogers SSE Airtricity League

Dundalk have managed to stay ahead in their battle with Shamrock Rovers for the SSE Airtricity Premier Division title this evening.

John Cotter’s tenure as Cork City interim manager got off to a winning start as Conor McCarthy’s first-half goal was the difference at Dalymount Park tonight.

Bohemians have ended Shamrock Rovers' run of eight straight wins in the SSE Airtricity Premier Division.

Clinical Bohemians saw off a first-half barrage from UCD to win 3-0 and move back into second place in the Premier Division.

Amid the serious business at hand, there was some light relief around at Cork City’s Bishopstown training ground this week.

Bohemians came from 2-0 down to beat UCD 5-3 in a penalty shootout after extra-time at Dalymount Park to advance to the quarter-finals of the EA Sports Cup as the wet weather wreaked havoc with yesterday’s schedule, forcing the postponement of five of the competition’s eight fixtures.

The opening day of the 2017 Galway Festival was a stern reminder of the meeting’s all too familiar dismissive treatment of punters, but amongst the torment remains the potential for a fairy-tale, and it transpired in the feature race, the Connacht Hotel Qualified Riders’ Handicap.

Five-time champion-jockey and four-time Irish Derby winner, Johnny Murtagh savoured his first Derby success as a trainer when 20/1 shot Jocular proved best in a blanket-finish to the Done Deal Apprentice Derby at the Curragh last night.

Off the track for almost a year, since making an impressive debut at the Curragh, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Words captured the Group 3 Munster Oaks, feature of yesterday’s action in Cork.

Philip Fenton appeared to be "less than truthful and uncooperative", according to a Turf Club report detailing the trainer’s disciplinary hearing at the weekend.

Jim Bolger and Kevin Manning shared a double with classy two-year-olds Parish Boy and Lucida in Naas yesterday.

Aidan O’Brien completed a double with odds-on favourites Toscanelli and Marchese Marconi in Limerick last night.

On a weekend when the Aidan O’Brien-trained Australia vaulted to favouritism for the 2014 Investec Derby, another Ballydoyle juvenile Giovanni Boldini created a favourable impression when making a successful debut in the www.dundalkstadium.com 2-Y-0 Race at Dundalk yesterday.

Seamus Heffernan took the riding honours on the second day of the Tramore Festival, completing a double on Moveable Asset and Dimaond Pro, both of his winners prevailing by the narrowest margin, a nose, in ultra-tight photo finishes.

Ruby Walsh struck for the first time at Killarney this week when Shamar followed his recent success at Cork by landing the Dawn Milk Omega Novice Hurdle before a massive crowd yesterday.

Narrowly denied over course and distance last Saturday, the Aidan O’Brien-trained Wilshire Boulevard opened his account at the third attempt when justifying odds-on favouritism in the Irish Stallion Farms Median Auction 2-Y-0 Maiden in Navan last night.

The remarkable Inis Meain, a tremendous success story over the last few months for Denis Hogan, did it again at Listowel yesterday when landing the featured Guinness Handicap.

Pat Flynn and Danny Grant took the honours on the beach in Laytown yesterday, completing a 44/1 double with Topadee and Jeangeorges.

Inis Meain, second to Call Me Bubbles here on Thursday evening, turned out again last night at Galway and proved what a tough customer he is when landing the featured Guinness Handicap.

Pat Flynn and Danny Grant shared a 69/1 double with Final Flashback and Al Mancillia in sunny Wexford last night.

The Tommy Stack-trained Scream Blue Murder is set for a quick return to listed company following her facile, all-the-way victory in the opening Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden at rain-sodden Bellewstown last night.

The Eddie Lynam-trained Reglisse stamped herself a filly of significant potential when landing the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden in Leopardstown last night.

Dermot Weld’s Sapphire made a spectacular seasonal debut at Cork yesterday when sweeping to an easy success in the Group 3 Kerry Group Noblesse Stakes.

Local riders Davy Condon and Paul Townend shared the honours with doubles in Tramore last night.

THE Aidan O’Brien-trained Wading proved the star of last night’s action in Dundalk, the Montjeu filly powering to an impressive four-and-a-half lengths win in the Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Fillies Maiden.

THE John Morrison-trained Much Acclaimed has to be one of the best bargains ever picked up at the sales.

SHADOW EILE cruised to victory for Shay Barry in the ITBA Fillies Scheme Novice Hurdle at Listowel yesterday.

HAVING registered a double in Group race action at Leopardstown on Saturday, reigning champion Pat Smullen doubled-up again — at Roscommon last evening — completing a double for Dermot Weld on Modern Romance and Midnight Music in ground described as ‘heavy’ before racing commenced before deteriorating further due to persistent rain.

CATCH THE EYE, who won her maiden at the Galway festival, made the step up in class with the minimum of fuss in the Seamus Weldon www.mowers.ie Race at the concluding stage of Killarney last night.

WILD WIND, who got no sort of run in the straight at Tipperary previously, made no mistake in the Listed Vincent O’Brien Ruby Stakes at Killarney last night.

THE Tom Mullins trained Fosters Cross ran his rivals ragged to land the featured carlton.ie/galwaycity Handicap at the first stage of the Ballybrit festival last night.

THE second division of the Dundalk Stadium On Facebook Handicap was declared void as confusion reigned at Dundalk yesterday.hor

FOLLOWING a long period when his horses were out of form, John Murphy’s inmates are now simply flying and his Top Spin roared home to land a 25-1 shock in the valuable Kingdom Gold Cup Handicap at Killarney last night.

WHAT a credit She’s Our Mark is to in-form trainer, Pat Flynn.

THE Aidan O’Brien-trained Zoffany bounced back from his Coventry Stakes defeat at Royal Ascot to justify 4/7 favouritism in the listed Golden Fleece 2-Y-0 Stakes, last night’s feature at Leopardstown.

JESSICA Harrington’s Blaze Brightly, who had finished second three times previously, got it right for Fran Berry in the Median Auction Maiden at Listowel yesterday.