Bohemians 1 - 0 TNS

Bohemians won at Dalymount by the single goal against TNS and it’s a result that bodes well for the Gypsies as they head for Oswestry in a week’s time.

TNS showed early on that they were going to pose no small threat and after nine minutes Matthew Berkeley found himself all alone with only Barry Murphy to beat but the finish was tame, by any stretch, and ended up a yard wide.

A certain lull in play seemed to unfold after the early stages, with both sides exercising a degree of trepidation in their approach to their unknown opposition.

Raffaele Cretaro is enamouring himself with the Dalymount faithful with his good early touch and spirited work rate and after 20 minutes he showed excellent feet on the edge of the box, turning swiftly he felt the tug on his arm from Philip Baker but continued, with the final ball reaching Paddy Madden only for the 20-year-old to force it wide. Cretaro was all industry and again, eight minutes later he was beating the defence with a deft touch and this time set up Ruadhri Higgins whose shot sailed over.

Pat Fenlon gives his post match reaction after Bohemians 1-0 win over Welsh side TNS in the Champions League Qualifiers to Extratime.ie reporter Frankie Lally. Filmed by Peter O'Doherty

TNS, who were bidding here to win the first tie in their European history, again could have had the ball in the net at the other end shortly after the half-hour mark. Chris Sharp, who was looking like a handful from the off, met Jones’ cross but it proved too much of a stretch, the ball veering wide and Bohs let off the hook.

The Gypsies best chance of the half came after 39 minutes when Paddy Madden steered the ball wide with the goal at his mercy after more fine work from Cretaro on the right. The young Dubliner just seemed to lose his footing at the crucial moment. Five minutes later he was on the end of another move; Cretaro finding him on the D after excellent play in the middle from Killian Brennan.

Madden, who has hit ten goals in the nine games before this, was looking to be having one of those nights when two chances were spurned shortly before the hour mark. The second of which was golden; finding himself as he did, on his own in the middle after Brennan had found him . The final shot trickled wide of Harrison’s post.

After 66 minutes however, Madden was turning the provider for said Brennan. The youngster had the ball at his feet on the left after a good move up-field and his superb cross was met square on the head by the former Derry City man. Harrison had no chance as the ball flew past him into the corner of the net.

The eruption from the Jody Stand did little to alert TNS to the cause and thereafter their response was tame in contrast to a Bohemians team rejuvenated into action. Brennan’s goal was to prove the winning of it however after a series of half-chances at least, weren’t taken by Pat Fenlon’s side.

The best of those chances fell to Quigley who, from 20 yards, whipped a shot over the defence only to see the ball balloon off the crossbar. Not even Jason Byrne could add to the tally on the night after he was brought on for the rather gallant Cretaro and finally, at the death Conor Powell, from his left-back berth found himself in the TNS box to pick out Keegan but his finish didn’t bother Harrison as it tailed wide.

Bohemians: Barry Murphy; Brian Shelley, Owen Heary ©, Ken Oman, Conor Powell; Killian Brennan, Paul Keegan, Ruaidhri Higgins, Marl Quigley; Raffaele Cretaro (Jason Byrne 75‘), Paddy Madden
Subs not used: Mark Rossiter, Jason McGuinness, Glenn Cronin, Chris O’Connor, Gary Burke, Lee Dixon.

Booked: Shelley (37), Cretaro (58).

TNS: Paul Harrison, Daniel Holmes, Chritopher Marriott, Philip Baker, Steven Evans; Scott Ruscoe, Barry Hogan, Craig Jones; Matthew Williams (Alex Darlington 83’); Christopher Sharp, Matthew Berkeley (Jamie Wood 77’)
Subs not used: Simon Williams, Thomas Holmes, Christian Seargeant, John McKenna, Aeron Edwards.

Booked: Jones (51).

Referee: Bas Nijhuis (Holland)

Attendance: 2,800

Extratime Man of the Match: Paul Keegan (Bohemians).