First-half goals do the trick for Bohemianss
First-half goals from Keith Buckley and Ayman Ben Mohamed gave Bohemians only their second league win of the season. Both goals came at the end of the first-half with Buckley getting the first on 42 minutes and Ben Mohamed adding the second in stoppage time at Dalymount Park.
Bohs had held the upper hand in the opening exchanges of this entertaining match but it was the visitors who had the first opportunity to open the scoring. That came on 20 minutes when Bohs goalkeeper Dean Delany made a point blank save from Josh O’Hanlon just outside his six-yard box. A scramble ensued before David O’Sullivan fired into the side netting.
Four minutes later a Bohs corner was cleared as far as Paddy Kavanagh who saw his shot come off a Town defender. The ball fell perfectly for Derek Pender to unleash a fierce shot but his effort flashed narrowly wide.
Longford went close again on 31 minutes when Kaleem Simon, who had replaced the injured Kealon Dillon on 15 minutes, fired a low shot across the box from the left. Delany had his lower far corner covered though, as the ball inches wide.
Longford lost possession inside the Bohs box on 35 minutes with the home side clearing up field. Bohs’ quick move ended with Kavanagh’s thunderous shot hitting the post with Town goalkeeper Paul Skinner stranded.
Bohs took the lead on 42 minutes when Buckley chipped Skinner following a wonderful Bohs move that involved Ismahil Akinade, Eoin Wearen and Ben Mohamed. Former Longford man Ben Mohamed then put Bohs further ahead in first half injury time, slotting in at the far post having been put in by Derek Pender following excellent build up play from Kavanagh.
It could have been three for Bohs on 48 minutes when Ben Mohamed evaded his marker and whipped a low cross into the box for Akinade butAkinade’s first touch was too heavy and the ball trickled to Skinner who cleared the danger.
Longford threatened on 54 minutes when Simon made a terrific run along the right wing before crossing for O’Hanlon, but neither had reckoned on the intervention of Kavanagh, who bundled in to clear. Kavanagh was involved again at the other end on 59 minutes when his shot was parried by Skinner before the Town goalkeeper gathered at the second attempt.
It was real end to end stuff at this stage with Town’s Peter McGlynn hitting the post with a good effort moments later. But, try as they might, Longford couldn’t break down a resolute Bohemians.
Delany; Pender (Hayes 78 mins), Prendergast, D Byrne, Fitzgerald; Kavanagh, Lopes, Buckley, Wearen (Mulcahy 85 mins); Akinade (K Byrne 64 mins), Ben Mohamed.
Skinner; Hughes, Haverty, Flynn, Mulhall; McGlynn (Cowan 75 mins), Dillon (Simon 15 mins), Gannon, O’Connor; O’Sullivan, O’Hanlon.
Robert Rogers (Dublin).
