Report: Bohemians 2 - 0 UCD

Neale Fenn was the orchestrator as Bohemians moved back to the top of the eircom League Premier Division with a comfortable 2-0 derby victory over UCD at Dalymount Park on Friday night. An Owen Heary header put the Gypsies on their way after 21 minutes before Killian Brennan doubled their advantage with his eighth league goal of the season midway through the first half.

Despite a brief flurry at the start of the second period, UCD rarely threatened and Bohs should really have added to their tally with Anthony Murphy, Mark Rossiter, Owen Heary and Jason Byrne all going close in the final half hour of a game which they dominated from start to finish.

With St Patrick's Athletic not in action until Saturday and facing a daunting away trip to Cork, Bohs went into the game knowing that a win would take them two points of clear at the top. Pat Fenlon made two changes from the side which drew with Derry City. With Liam Burns injured and Jason McGuinness suspended, Thomas Heary dropped back into the centre of defence alongside fit-again Ken Oman, while Mark Rossiter came into midfield.

Despite having taken a point off Bohs at home earlier in the season, UCD went into the game as massive underdogs. The students had managed just 13 goals from their opening 19 league games and had to rely on a goal from former Bohs 'keeper Matt Gregg to snatch a draw against Cobh Ramblers in their previous outing. Manager Pete Mahon made three changes from that game. Alan McNally and Paul Byrne came in to replace the injured duo of Ian Bermingham and Brian King, while former Cherry Orchard youngster Enda Stevens made his competitive debut for the students at left-back after impressing in a friendly against Dundee United.

With top spot on their minds, the home side were unsurprisingly lively in the opening exchanges. Recent-signing Murphy flashed a shot wide after just two minutes, before Fenn drove straight at Gregg from 12 yards. This opening flurry was to be a sign of things to come in a first 45 minutes which saw the hosts lay seige on the UCD goal. Rossiter was next to go close on ten minutes, his thunderous shot from 25-yards curling narrowly past the post. Gregg then got down well to save a powerful Brennan half volley from the edge of the box.

The surprisingly quiet home fans didn't have to wait too much longer for the opener, however. On 21 minutes Fenn floated a corner in from the left and Heary rose highest at the back post to head home. There was to be no let up after the opener and the second goal duly arrived on the half hour mark. Fenn dinked another ball to his far post, this time from the right hand side, and Brennan slid in to turn the ball through the legs of Gregg.

Two minutes later and Bohs were almost home and dry when, Fenn, at the heart of everything good about Bohs play in the first half, slipped Glen Crowe in behind the stagnant UCD defence but he fired his shot straight at the legs of Gregg. Fenn then twice came close to getting himself on the scoresheet with shots from the edge of the area which fizzed narrowly wide.

As the first half played out UCD looked dead and buried, but midfielder Ronan Finn almost threw his side a lifeline in stoppage time at the end of the opening period when his first time shot from 20 yards made its way through a crowded area and looked destined to nestle in the bottom corner before Bohs 'keeper Brian Murphy somehow got down to get a hand to it and turn it away.

UCD were more purposeful after the break, but it was the hosts who always looked the more likely to score again. On 54 minutes, a dipping header from Anthony Murphy forced Gregg to tip over, before Murphy and Rossiter both fired wide just after the hour-mark. Owen Heary forced Gregg into another fine save with a rasping shot after meandering his way into the box on 70 minutes.

In the dying seconds of injury time, late substitute Byrne almost added a third with a swerving free-kick which stung the hands of Gregg.

Bohemians: Brian Murphy; Owen Heary, Ken Oman, Thomas Heary, Conor Powell; Anto Murphy, Stephen O'Donnell, Mark Rossiter (Harpal Singh 81), Killian Brennan; Neale Fenn, Glen Crowe (Jason Byrne 75).
Subs not used: Chris Konopka, Paddy Madden, Brian McCarthy.

UCD: Matt Gregg; Conor Kenna, Evan McMillan, Alan McNally, Enda Stevens; Shane Fitzgerald, Shane McFaul (Greg Bolger 75), Ronan Finn, Derek Doyle (John Reilly 68); Paul Byrne (John O'Neill 61), Patrick McWalter.
Subs not used: Billy Brennan, Sean Harding.

Referee: Paul Tuite.

Attendance: 1,286

Man of the Match: Neale Fenn (Bohemians).