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UCD AFC were beaten by Bohemian FC in Dalymount Park on Friday Night. 

Airtricity League Premier Division

BOHEMIAN FC    (2)     3       UCD            (0)     1

Byrne 28, McGlynn 37, Quighley 84                    Corry 67

Dalymount, Friday 10 September 2010 ko 1945

By Brian de Salvo

There are those who will tell you that, as football clubs, Bohs and UCD are not in the same league.   They compete in the same one, however, and since entry to the Airtricity Premier Division is via promotion not by invitation, UCD were at Dalymount on Friday night on merit.   The last time the Students visited they came away with a point.   This time there was a moment, after Paul Corry had pulled a goal back, when it looked as though they might steal another.

This was a match full of incident starting with the Bohs fans baying for a penalty as early as the first minute.   The following sixty seconds saw Brian Shortall add to his tally of bruises as the victim of two hefty challenges.   As he went off briefly to learn how to walk again Karl Moore, filling in at left full, clipped Heary and later thwarted a Quigley excursion down the right, following good work from Brennan and Cretaro, at the expense of a corner.

UCD hit back around the quarter hour mark with a header from the restored Shortall that O’Connor turned over and then had two free kicks.   One, from long range after McGlynn had fouled Kilduff, was hit wide by Bolger.   The second followed a foul by Brennan on Corry on the edge of the box and Moore got his effort over the wall but also just over the bar.

Bohs got the ball in the net after 22 minutes after Billy Brennan’s sprawling save from Cretaro was converted at close range by McGuinness but Heary had handled en route.   UCD were under the cosh now, defending deeper and deeper and, as Bohs tried some long range shooting Brennan was called into spectacular action, saving from Cretaro, McGlynn and his Bohs namesake. The inevitable goal finally arrived in the 28^th minute when the Blues lost possession in midfield.   A neat back heel provided McGlynn with space and, with the UCD defence in disarray, Bohs man of the match slipped the perfect pass through to Jason Byrne who took a touch and held off O’Conor to drill the ball wide of the keeper’s left hand.

It could have been two soon after when Moore was called upon to clear McGlynn shot off the line and Heary hit the rebound narrowly wide.   But the second goal was not long in coming.   Cretaro, Heary and Quigley, pondered the options on the edge of the box and, with UCD standing off, McGlynn eventually smashed the ball into the top corner.   With Heary seeming to spend as much time in UCD’s penalty area as his own, the pressure was still on.   The diligent Evan McMillan was at full stretch to thwart Cretaro but Brennan couldn’t prevent the ball going behind for a corner, one of nineteen on the day, of which UCD had twelve, without positive outcome.

At the interval UCD brought on the bustling Mulhall for Ward and went to 4-4-2.   This had an immediate effect, with Mulhall and Moore prominent as Bohs caused the faithful some alarm by faltering for a period.   Bohs reminded them that they were still in charge when Killian Brennan’s looping header from the right was headed against the far post by Byrne with McMillan just scrambling the ball away.   At the other end Ciaran Kilduff almost broke free but a resourceful tackle by Shelley put a stop to his gallop.

Billy Brennan then stopped Heary’s header at point blank range with his face before Paul Corry put UCD back into the game, noodling his shot from twenty yards through a packed penalty area into the bottom left corner of the net after sixty seven minutes.   Now Bohs seemed more intent in preserving what they had got but they were still a goal force and Brennan had to look sharp to pounce at Madden’s feet after blocking Cretaro’s effort.

It was the Bohs super sub, just back from action with the Under 21 international team, who put a proper perspective on the game.   Quigley, released on the left, took his goal well but it was the extraordinary pace and razor sharp tackling from Madden that robbed the unfortunate O’Conor of the ball and set up the wide man.   Valiantly though O’Conor chased back he was unable to get more than a touch on Quigley’s delivery and for the final few minutes the Bohs left flank was a freeway.

There are those who will tell you that Bohs have had a bad season.   True Shamrock Rovers would seem to have claimed their champions crown but Bohs are favourites to finish runners up.   Not bad for a team having a bad season and to those who think second place is second best I say stop moaning and enjoy the football.

BOHEMIANS: Chris O’Connor; Owen Heary, Brian Shelley, Jason McGuinness, Conor Powell; Killian Brennan, Gareth McGlynn, Glen Cronin (Ruaidhri Higgins 89), Mark Quigley; Jason Byrne (Paddy Madden 72), Rafaele Cretaro (Aaron Greene 86).

UCD: Billy Brennan; Paul O’Conor, Evan McMillan, Michael Leahy, Brian Shortall; Keith Ward (Chris Mulhall h/t), Greg Bolger, Paul Corry, Karl Moore; Graham Rusk (Dwayne Wilson 82); Ciaran Kilduff.

Referee: Anthony Buttner