Cretaro blasts Bohs back into title hunt

THE sheer effervescence of Raffaele Cretaro relieved the pressure around Dalymount Park as he scored twice to give the champions a morale-boosting win.

A first victory in four games may not raise the overall gloom around the financially-troubled club. But it does lift Pat Fenlon’s side up to third, five points behind Shamrock Rovers.

Decent in the first half and deserving of Cretaro’s 32nd-minute lead, Bohs didn’t seal the points until the 84th minute. Substitute Jason Byrne’s clever backheel from Garth McGlynn’s diagonal ball set up Cretaro whose deflected shot looped over Matt Gregg.

With five changes from the side that crashed to a second successive defeat here to Galway on Friday, including a starting league debut for 19-year-old left winger Gary Burke, Bohemians were full of intent as they set about Bray from the first whistle, creating five clearcut chances in 15 minutes.

The Paddy Madden-Cretaro partnership was renewed up front and they carved the first opening which saw Paul Keegan’s low drive coming back off Dave Webster’s legs.

Madden, who hasn’t scored since that 3-0 win in Bray almost a month ago, got his first sniff of goal two minutes later as he headed narrowly wide from captain Owen Heary’s cross.

Bohemians continued to take the game to Bray early on with young Burke, neat on the ball, firing over before Killian Brennan drilled wide.

Madden should have broken the deadlock on 15 minutes, but failed to get enough purchase on his header from Keegan’s corner and glanced his effort wide.

Only a brilliant save from former Bray keeper, Chris O’Connor, prevented the visitors taking the lead on 20 minutes. Dean Zambra teed up Shane O’Neill from John Mulroy’s cross. O’Connor got down well to push the striker’s low drive out for a corner.

But it merely lifted the siege as Madden brought a good stop from Gregg before Bohemians took the lead on 32 minutes. Ken Oman’s headed clearance ran though for Cretaro who used his pace and guile to outwit the defence and beat Gregg with a low drive.

Bray had renewed spring in their step on the resumption which almost saw them level on 56 minutes. From a corner defender Derek Prendergast arrowed his free header over the bar.

Bohs remained vulnerable at the back and Bray returned to twice cause them problems inside a minute. O’Connor saved from from Kelly after Dane Massey returned Zambra’s cross into the near post. O’Connor then had to get down to hold onto another Kelly effort.

Cretaro remained Bohs liveliest player and on 84 minutes he sealed perhaps Bohemians biggest win of the season.

BOHEMIANS: O’Connor; Heary, Shelley, Oman, Powell; Brennan (McGlynn, 64 mins.), Cronin, Keegan, Burke (Quigley, 89 mins.); Cretaro, Madden (Byrne, 64 mins.).

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Webster, S. O’Connor, Prendergast, Houston; Zambra, Dempsey, D. O’Connor (Shields, 86 mins.), J. Kelly (Tuohy, 89 mins.); S. O’Neill (Massey, 32 mins.), Mulroy.

Referee: Tom Connolly (Dublin).