Bohs claim back-to-back victories for first time this season

MATCH WINNER: Liam Burt of Bohemians, centre, celebrates with team-mates Jordan Doherty, left, James Finnerty and James McManus, right, after scoring their side's first during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match between Drogheda United and Bohemians at Head in the Game Park in Drogheda, Co Louth. Pic: George Tewkesbury/Sportsfile

Drogheda Utd 0 Bohemians 1

Bohemians claimed back-to-back victories in the Premier Division for the first time all season courtesy of Scottish winger Liam Burt’s second half stunner.

It was a fitting way to settle a pulsating contest that could have produced a high-scoring result in favour of either team, such was the attacking intent and quality on show throughout.

The 2,063 strong crowd at Head In The Park will have spent the half time break scratching their heads at just how the opening 45 minutes produced no goals. 

It was a hotly contested affair full of goalmouth incident at both ends of the pitch, as well as penalty claim and counter claim meaning referee Paul McLaughlin had much to ponder too.

Bohemians started the game well, with Promise Omochere to the fore. The striker started the campaign in blistering form but he has no goals in his last eight appearances and with leading scoring Dawson Devoy now departed, their dependency on the 21-year-old to provide their firepower has grown.

He could have scored four goals inside the opening 15 minutes. He was twice denied by Drogheda’s Colin McCabe and hit the post after a mix-up in the United rearguard presented him with an almost open goal to aim at.

It looked for all the world like Omochere had scored when he ran onto John O’Sullivan’s threaded ball. He outpaced veteran Keith Cowan and beat McCabe but his shot was the wrong side of the upright.

United went close too – doing their bit in a game that swung from one end to the other for almost the entire 90 minutes.

It was manic and very watchable. Evan Weir and Darragh Nugent made Tadhg Ryan work, while John O’Sullivan tested McCabe’s capabilities in the home goal.

Kevin Doherty’s side will wonder for days, perhaps weeks, to come how Weir did not notch his fourth goal of an impressive season to give them the lead goal before the break. Darragh Markey’s deep cross looked harmless until Weir surged into the area and connected. His shot was heading inside the far post until the brilliant intervention of Josh Kerr.

The duel between McCabe and Omochere continued after the restart. The Drogheda stopper denied the striker again, and then a fourth time, with two excellent saves down to his right.

The Bohs frontman was replaced by teenager Ethon Varian and within minutes of his introduction, he helped fashion the winner. His neat flick found Burt who showed both vision and class to beat McCabe with a lob that nestled in the top corner.

United almost rescued a point at the end but Andrew Quinn powered his header wide from a free kick.

DROGHEDA UNITED: McCabe; Heeney (Poynton, 90), Quinn, Cowan, Weir; Deegan, Clarke (Brennan, 78); Markey, Nugent, Rooney (Foley, 68); Williams (Lyons, 79).

BOHEMIANS: Ryan; Doherty, Kerr, Kelly, Wilson; Flores, O’Sullivan (Mullins, 74), Levingston (McManus, 61); Burt, Omochere (Varian, 74), Ogedi-Uzokwe (McDaid, 61).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin