St. Patrick's Athletic 0 - 2 Bohemians

• Eoin Manning
• Tue, Aug 11 2009


Two Ken Oman headers were enough for Bohemians to see off a spirited St.Patrick’s Athletic display at Richmond Park tonight in the League of Ireland Premier Division.

It was little more than a professional and ruthless performance warranted from the league leaders though they were made sweat at stages by their Dublin rivals.

St. Pat’s recent revival has been in no small part thanks to the goal scoring heroics of Declan O’Brien (who was absent on this occasion) but of equal importance has been the clean bill of health handed to some key players and manager Jeff Kenna has virtually all members of staff available for work these days.

And, a confident start from the home side saw them threaten after just six minutes when defender Dave Partridge headed Alan Cawley’s corner narrowly over Brian Murphy’s goal.

Some brilliant play down the Saint’s left from Enda Stevens saw the home team threaten again on 19 minutes, as the full back left a couple of Bohs’ players in his wake and then lifted a delightful through ball into Glenn Fitzpatrick’s path but for all the target man’s strengths pace is not one of them and Brian Shelly comfortably saw off the danger.

It was then Bohs’ turn to threaten with 22 minutes gone and they really should have taken the lead but the usually reliable Ken Oman thrashed wildly when well placed at the back post and his disappointing effort achieved nothing more than jeers from the home crowd.

However moments later defender Shelly managed to reach an over hit corner from Kilian Brennan and instantly put the ball back in to the danger area and it was Oman who out jumped a hesitant looking Gary Rogers in the Pat’s goal to put the champions one up after 28 minutes.

Despite Pat’s early pressure the scorers’ of the game’s opening goal didn’t come as a huge surprise. The visitors had showed far more menace and direction than their hosts in the few fleeting forays that had gone before.

Joseph Ndo, playing against his old club, shrugged off the barracking he was receiving from home fans to dart inside his marker Jason Gavin and unleash a powerful shot which looked goal bound until deflected wide for another Bohs’ corner and from the resulting set piece came one of the games lighter moments.

Ryan Guy collected the breaking ball and appeared to have left Gary Deegan for dead but, quickly realising the danger, Deegan attempted to pull the effervescent American back.

Guy is nothing if not courageous and honest and ran all of forty yards with the Bohemian’s midfielder hanging off his back and once it appeared he had finally freed himself from Deegan’s attentions Fenlon’s combative midfielder finally hacked Guy down who had amazingly made it well into inside the Bohs’ half.

Deegan picked up a yellow card for his troubles. It was the team from Dalymount who took their one nil lead into the half-time break.

Fenlon’s side continued to look the more incisive after the break and Brennan immediately tested Rogers with a header from yet another Shelly centre.

The champions were beginning to dominate now and should really have gone two up in the 55th minute but from Paul Keegan’s excellent free-kick the ball had hit Glen Crowe on the head and drifted wide before he even had time to realise he was unmarked eight yards from goal.

As displayed in their recent European adventures Kenna’s side have plenty of resolve and it was certainly evident again when the impressive Stevens went raiding down the left and fed the breaking Damian Lynch but his shot lacked the power or accuracy to beat Murphy .

Kenna realised that his side need a spark in the final third of the pitch and summoned the returning Mark Quigley and Gary Dempsey from the bench and the very spritely looking Quigley immediately caused panic in the home defence but fired badly over when he really should have scored in both the 63rd and 65th minutes.

Something Oman did not do just four minutes later as he beat everyone to the ball to head his and his side’s second goal of the night from an Ndo corner.

The away side then set about using every inch of the Inchicore pitch and at times it looked as though Pat’s were chasing shadows in their quest to somehow find a way back into the game and it was the away side who looked the more likely to score the game’s third goal.

Effort was high from Pat’s but chances were low and the steamroller that is Bohemians picked up another deserved three points.

St.Patrick’s Athletic: Rogers, Gavin, Harris, Partridge, Stevens, Ryan, Lynch, Byrne (Quigley ’61), Cawley (Dempsey ’61), Fitzpatrick (Leech ’75) Subs not used: Clarke, Ryan,

Bohemians: Murphy, Rossiter, Powell, Deegan, Shelley, Oman,Keegan, Ndo, Crowe (Madden ’69), Brennan (Cronin ’88) Subs not used:, Heary, Fenn, Gregg

Referee: Damien Hancock

Man of the Match: Ken Oman, who else?