Bohs end long wait for Dalymount win with victory over Drogs
Patrick Hickey score Bohs' second goal agianst Drogheda. Pic: Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
Bohs ended their 63-day long wait for a home win as they battled to a massive three points over bogey side Drogheda United thanks to two second half goals from Dayle Rooney and Pat Hickey, with Thomas Oluwa halving the deficit late on.
The third place hosts, full of confidence from last week’s come-from-behind win against an impressive Dundalk side, looked to end the visitors hoodoo in Dalymount Park that had seen Kevin Doherty’s men emerge 1-0 victors on their last three visits to Phibsborough, and should have been ahead within five minutes when Markuss Strods slipped Douglas-James Taylor in behind, only for the angle to get the better of the former Drogs hitman.
Corner after corner rained down on Fynn Talley’s goal as the attritional first half progressed with the hosts desperately searching for the breakthrough. But the Englishman stood tall to everything thrown at him, with one save in particular a save of the season contender using all of his 1.91 meter frame to tip Ross Tierney’s flicked header around the post.
But the Drogs have hit some form themselves, having won three of their last four including wins at Tolka Park and at home to Derry City a week previous, proving yet again they are made of stern stuff and should have been ahead at the break.
Cleverly holding his run, Mark Doyle broke the offside trap and selflessly opted to try to square the ball to Thomas Oluwa only to see Cian Byrne pull off a miraculous clearance from just a couple of yards out under severe pressure.
Having seen the returning Jordan Flores spurn a glorious chance from a point blank header just after the restart, the home side got in front through another former Drogheda United man Dayle Rooney who struck the sweetest of efforts across goal into the bottom corner, having been tee’d up by Strods.
Moments later Hickey made it two with a towering header in a crowded area, from another quality Strods delivery, to give his side some breathing space.
With just four minutes remaining, Thomas Oluwa stunned the home support to silence with a powerful header of his own, to set up a nervy ending.
But the hosts held out to earn a massive three points to make up ground on the top two making it four games unbeaten for Alan Reynolds troops.
Chorazka; Power, Hickey, Byrne, Flores; Devoy, Diallo (Morahan, 89’); Rooney (Kavanagh, 90+3’), Tierney, Strods (Myers, 90+3’: James-Taylor (Whelan, 82’)
Talley: Agbaje (Burney, 75’), Keeley, Bolger (Quinn, 46’), Kane; Godden, Kavanagh (McGrath, 75’), Farrell; Davis (Kieran Cruise, 65’), Doyle (Kareem, 65’), Oluwa
Marc Lynch (Galway)
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