Bohemians 0 - 0 Coleraine

• Jody Moylan
• Wed, Oct 07 2009


A night of contrasting priorities at Dalymount Park as Coleraine celebrated this scoreless draw like minnows collecting a huge point in a World Cup qualifier. The esteem with which Bohemians are held in domestic football is well founded, and all eyes for them seemed to be on the tail end of their league journey as Pat Fenlon made eight changes for this Setanta Cup clash from the team that started in Tallaght on Friday last.

It was an evening for the lesser lights to make a mark and as early as the third minute Gary Burke, making his competitive debut for the Gypsies, found space for himself on the left to conjure up a sweet cross for Glenn Crowe. The stalwart should well have done better, blasting his free header just wide.

Enjoying much of the possession in the early stages Bohs looked increasingly dangerous and in the 13th Killian Brennan with typical class back heeled to Neale Fenn in the Coleraine box. Fenn teed up nicely for Gary Deegan but the midfielders’ long range strike was blocked and the Northerners were let off the hook.

Coleraine soaked up a lot of pressure and sprung forward in the 18th, Gareth Harkin showing a nice turn of speed on the left before finding Richard Gibson who was arriving in Brian Murphy’s box. Gibson miss- cued however, allowing the advancing Murphy to smother easily.

The Co. Derry men looked to be settling at this stage and displayed some nice football. Big Mark Mukendi (formerly of Finn Harps) was looking assured at centre-half under a lot of pressure, while up front Rory Patterson was making good movement, if only he had somebody to pick him out. The Strabane striker should know a thing or two about scoring; formerly of FC United of Manchester, the semi-professional outfit set up in the wake of the Glazier takeover at Old Trafford, Patterson bagged a phenomenal 107 goals in 126 appearances in Greater Manchester.

He was left with little bait to snap at however, and right on the stroke of half-time Anto Murphy seized possession for the Gypsies and sailed in a cross from the right but Gary Deegan’s mid air back heel was always audacious and fell wide of O’Hare's left post.

It was the Dublin 7 outfit who again showed much of the dominance in the second half and after 58 minutes Brennan cut inside from outside right. A safe ball to the over-lapping Anto Murphy would have seemed the likely option but Brennan chose to carry on and ultimately struck a weak shot off his left, careering the ball wide.

Gary Deegan, coming back into the line-up after suspension left him sitting in the stands for the Shamrock Rovers game on Friday was tireless in the middle, dictating play and always probing, harrying and generally being a thorn in Coleraine's side. Just after the hour mark he forced Davy O’Hare into a magnificent save after a neat one- two with Glen Crowe. O’Hare was the one positive constant in the Coleraine line up and his busy night was an indication of his side’s poor form this season, Coleraine currently lying five places off the bottom of a twelve team IFA Premiership.

With Bohs utterly dominating possession now, Pat Fenlon might have been left questioning some of the decisions being made on the field in the final third and in the 74th Coleraine caught the Gypsies on the break. The ball in the end was latched onto by the substitute Tommy McCallion who shot well over. The game ultimately petered out with Sean Byrne, at the death, lobbing unconvincingly in to O’Hare's waiting arms. Bohs gathered a fourth point in this competition and lead Group 2 on four points ahead of the visitors and Glentoran who both now have two.

Pat Fenlon will look to move on swiftly. The whole question of the merits of a competition that was hanging in the balance as late as June was brought up post-match to which Fenlon surmised “It was a game we could have probably done without……next year I just can’t see the competition going ahead to be honest.”

Bohemians: Brian Murphy, Owen Heary, Sean Byrne, Gary Deegan, Gary Burke, Ken Oman, Anto Murphy, Neale Fenn, Glen Crowe (Mark Hughes 75‘), Ryan McIvor (Lee Dixon 69‘), Killian Brennan.

Coleraine: Davy O’Hare, Howard Beverland, Matty Crossan, Michael Hegarty, Paddy McLaughlin, Darren Boyce (Stephen Dooley 63‘), Rory Patterson, Mark Mukendi, Gareth Harkin, Gareth Tommons (Tommy McCallion 69‘), Richard Gibson (Eunian O’Kane 69’).

Referee: Damien Hancock.

Man of the Match: Bohemians’ Gary Burke had an excellent game on the left on his competive debut but Gary Deegan was again to fore and deserves the accolade tonight.