Youngsters lead by example as Bohemians add to Waterford woes

Andy Lyons of Bohemians scores his side's third goal past Waterford goalkeeper Brian Murphy. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Bohemians 3 Waterford 0

Bohemians’ youth division led by example as Dawson Devoy, Ross Tierney and Andy Lyons fired Keith Long’s side to a well-deserved win over Waterford.

Devoy and Lyons will fly out to Marbella to link up with the Ireland U21s for friendlies against Australia and Denmark, while Tierney was unlucky not to join them on the plane.

The trio have been pivotal in Boh’s fine form in recent weeks, and the home side arrived into the game with confidence in spades having hammered Dundalk 5-1 on Monday.

They found the Blues a tough nut to crack, however, with former Bohs keeper Brian Murphy pulling off a string of fine saves including a save of the season contender from Conor Levingston’s volley.

His resistance was finally broken seven minutes before half-time as Lyons found room on the right, which Bohs targeted all game, and teed up Devoy to curl a low shot into the corner.

They got a second before the break as a half-cleared corner was headed back into the danger zone by Rory Feely, and Tierney showed impressive spring to jump and nod the ball home.

Ross Tierney of Bohemians celebrates after scoring his side's second goal. Picture: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Murphy was the only man standing between Bohs and a rout, and he denied Lyons a certain goal with an outstretched leg.

New Blues boss Marc Bircham made attacking changes at the break but his problems got worse when one of those, Isaac Tshipamba, saw red for a mistimed tackle on Ciaran Kelly.

Bohs were clinical and took advantage of the space to add a third, Georgie Kelly having two bits of the cherry before slipping in the arriving Lyons.

With no winger to track him, Lyons was one-on-one with Murphy. He had plenty to do but managed to squeeze the ball under the keeper from a tight angle.

BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Lyons, Feely, Kelly, Breslin; Levingston, Devoy (Buckley 78), Tierney (Ward 73); Coote, Burt (Mallon 78), Kelly.

WATERFORD: Murphy; Power (Tshipamba 46), Evans, Collins (Stafford 60), Browne; O’Reilly, O’Keeffe, Griffin; Waite (Mutsvunguma 73), Mascoll (Molloy 73), Martin (Kavanagh 46).

Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork).