Bohemians 1 - 0 Drogheda United

Bohemians kept their double hopes alive with a well deserved one nil victory over nine-man Drogheda United in the fourth round of the FAI Ford Cup at Dalymount Park on Friday night.

The Gypsies dominated the game from start to finish but it took them until the 88th minute to make the breakthrough when Glen Crowe headed home Killian Brennan's precise cross. That goal came just four minutes after Drogheda goalkeeper Jamie Ewings, who had single-handedly kept his side in the tie with a strong of fine saves, was sent off for a professional foul on Crowe.

A night to forget for Paul Doolin and his men was compounded in the dying seconds of the second half when Graham Gartland was also ordered off after picking up a second booking. The defeat means that last year's eircom Premier League champions now realistically only have the Setanta Cup to play, while their likely successors as league winners move a step closer to what could be a delightful double.

Bohs went into the game on the back of a seven game unbeaten run in all competitions, However, with John Paul Kelly suspended and Anthony Murphy cup-tied, boss Pat Fenlon was forced to shuffle his pack with Mark Rossiter switching to right back and Mindaugas Kalonas coming in to midfield for his first start. Conor Powell was recalled at left back while Jason Byrne moved into attack in place of Neale Fenn.

Despite a largely disappointing season thus far, Drogheda too went into the game in good spirits following their one nil away victory over St Patrick's Athletic and their valiant efforts against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League. Manager Paul Doolin made just one change with Shaun Maher coming in for Fahrudin Kudozovic.

Despite the live TV cameras being in attendance, the game came perilously close to being called off, with kick off delayed by some 55 minutes due to floodlight problems caused by electricity problems in the surrounding area.

Once play finally did get underway, it was the home side who started brightest and some slack defending from Drogheda almost allowed Jason Byrne to get in on goal, but the out-rushing Ewings in the Drogheda goal smothered before Byrne could get a shot in. Byrne then went even closer on ten minutes when he beat both Gartland and Brian Shelley to Killian Brenna's dipping cross only to see his header turned away by the fingertips of Ewings.

Drogheda then came close to grabbing the lead themselves with their first attack of the game when Baker was put in behind the Bohs defence but he was ruled offside by referee Alan Kelly. Then came a contentious moment at the other end when Glen Crowe appeared to be pulled by Shelley on the edge of the 18 yard box on 19 minutes as he raced in on goal. Referee Kelly awarded the free-kick but Shelley escaped with just a yellow card.

On 25 minutes Drogheda's Senegalese striker Ibrahima Iyane Thiam spurned his side's best chance of the opening period when he headed narrowly wide from six yards with his back to goal.

The away side continued to look suspect at the back however and Ewings was again called upon to save his team's blushes on 28 minutes when he denied Kalonas from close range with his feet after the Lithuanian international had collected Crowe's neat through ball. Crowe should then perhaps have done better himself when he flicked Jason Byrne's drilled cross over the bar from ten yards on 40 minutes.

Doolin was no doubt relieved that his side had made it to the interval still on level terms and he switched things around at the interval with Eamon Zayed replacing Iyane-Thiam up-front.

It was the Gypsies who continued to dictate play after the break, however, although the best they could muster by way of chances was a weak long range effort from Jason Byrne on 50 minutes which threatened the corner flag more than it did Ewings. Drogheda were struggling to exert any real pressure on the Bohs' rearguard and the home side created another half chance on 56 minutes. Kalonas, who had looked lively throughout, jinked his way past Stuart Byrne in the corner before the former Shelbourne man hauled Kalonas to the floor. Brennan pulled his free-kick back to Crowe 12 yards out but his shot on the turn sailed over.

Substitute Zayed then passed up a half chance for United on 65 minutes when he screwed a half volley well wide from the edge of the area. That was to be as close as they were to come, however, during a second half in which the Louth men were always second best and Bohs showed exactly why they sit seven points clear at the top of the league.

Moments later, Drogheda-native Brennan then came within the width of a post from edging Bohs in front when his floated free-kick narrowly eluded the head of Crowe in the box before bouncing up off the turf and clipping the outside of Ewing's right hand post. On 74 minutes Bohs threatened again. Rossiter cut in from the right, played a neat one-two with Brennan on the edge of the area before shooting just inches wide with the outside of his right boot.

It seemed only a matter of time before Bohs got the ball in the back of the net, while Drogheda, with ten men behind the ball for much of the second half, seemed content to take the tie to a replay back at United Park. Jason Byrne was next to threaten, his powerful drive from the corner of the area after Owen Heary had flicked on Kalonas' corner ball was fingertipped on to the crossbar by Ewings, whose goal was leading a charmed life.

The chances were coming thick and fast and shortly after Kalonas skinned Shelley on the corner of the area before laying the ball off to Brennan but Bohs' top scorer this season fired over with just Ewings to beat. Ewings then went from hero to villian for the away side when he was ordered off on 85 minutes for a professional foul. A mix-up at the back for Drogheda allowed Crowe to run clean through and nick the ball over the outrushing Ewings who took the legs of the striker. Harsh perhaps as Crowe looked to be going nowhere, however there were few complaints from Ewings who was replaced in goal by Mikko Vilmunen.

Vilmunen had barely took his place between the sticks before Brennan twisted and turned in the corner and sent in an inch-perfect cross which Crowe glanced home in to the bottom corner. It was no less than Bohs, and indeed Crowe who had worked tirelessly all night, deserved.

A bad night for the away side was then made even worse in injury time when Gartland was shown a second yellow card after he chopped down Stephen O'Donnell in the centre of the park.

Bohemians: Brian Murphy; Mark Rossiter, Owen Heary, Thomas Heary, Conor Powell; Mindaugas Kalonas, Gary Deegan, Stephen O'Donnell, Killian Brennan; Jason Byrne, Glen Crowe.
Subs not used: Sean Byrne, Harpal Singh, Neale Fenn.

Booked: Deegan, O Heary.

Drogheda United: Jamie Ewings; Stuart Byrne, Brian Shelley, Graham Gartland, Joe Kendrick; Richie Baker (Shane Barrett 80 (Mikko Vilminen 85)), Shane Robinson, Shaun Maher, Adam Hughes, Ollie Cahill; Ibrahim Iyane Thiam (Eamon Zayed 46).
Subs not used: Sami Ristila, Declan O'Brien, Guy Bates.

Booked: Shelly, Gartland, Maher.
Sent Off: Ewings, Gartland.

Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork)

Man of the Match: Stephen O'Donnell (Bohemians).