Dundalk 0 - 0 Bohemians

• Keith Wallace
• Fri, Sep 16 2011


FAI Ford Cup Man of the Match Mark Quigley missed a golden chance to shoot Dundalk into the semi-finals as he blazed over on 72 minutes, as the Lilywhites were held to a 0-0 draw by Bohemians at Oriel Park on Friday night.

Quigley looked lively in the opening exchanges and had the first efforts on goal, but it was after the half-hour mark that the visitors created the best chances of the opening period as Ger O’Brien drilled into the side-netting and Aidan Downes saw his header well saved by Peter Cherrie.

After the break Dundalk were denied a penalty when a Bohs player handled in the box, before the game’s clearest opening fell to Quigley following a fine run from Mark Griffin, but he shot over. The replay will take place at Dalymount Park on Tuesday night (kick-off 7.45pm).

Both managers made two changes to the teams that lined up for the previous Monday’s league encounter, Ross Gaynor and Keith Ward replacing Jason Byrne and Nathan Murphy for the hosts, while Barry Murphy and Aidan Price were the new faces for Bohs in place of Craig Sexton and Keith Buckley. Dundalk had five players aged 20 or under in their starting XI, with just one player over 30, the side having an average age of just 22.82.

Bohs, on the other hand, added even more experience as their average age jumped from 26.36 on Monday to 27.91, with Downes the only player under 25 in a team that had three players 30 or older. Dundalk, who were dealt a blow with the news that Colin Hawkins will face at least a month on the sidelines with a knee injury after he underwent a scan, played against the wind in the first half, and had a couple of early free-kicks, neither testing Murphy.

?On ten minutes Downes muscled Dean Bennett off the ball in the box and pulled it back for the in-rushing Stephen Hurley but Ward tracked back well and cleared. Past the quarter-hour mark, Dundalk had the first shot of the night. Johnny Breen did well to win possession in his own half and played it forward to Griffin, who in turn laid it back to Greg Bolger, a swept pass finding Quigley whose curling shot from 25-yards went the wrong side of the post.

On the midway point of the half, Quigley saw an effort from range saved low down by Murphy, who was beaten seconds later but Quigley this time shot inches wide of the target after clever build-up play involving Griffin. On 33 minutes, Bohs had their first real effort of the game as a ball found its way to O’Brien at the back post but he could only drill into the side-netting, the visiting fans celebrating at first what they thought was a goal.

?On 40 minutes, Dundalk had Cherrie – on his 99th appearance for the club – to thank for keeping them on level terms. Killian Brennan’s free-kick into the box was put back across goal by Hurley and Downes headed goalwards, an effort appearing to be heading for the top corner but Cherrie did well to get across and save as well as hold. Moments later, Cherrie delayed slightly on a back-pass, with O’Brien rushing in and chasing down the rebound which luckily went behind.

At the other end, Gaynor’s corner was hooked back across goal by Bennett, the ball falling to Quigley on the edge of the box and his shot went inches over the crossbar. Ward then tried his luck from all of 40-yards but a decent effort failed to trouble the visiting No1, the last shot of a rather quiet opening period. Within two minutes of the restart, Brennan curled a free-kick narrowly wide from just outside the box.

?Downes then fired wide from 25-yards as Bohs started the half brightly. But Dundalk came into it and on 64 minutes they were denied a penalty – for the second time at home to the Gypsies this season – as Bolger’s free-kick was handled in the box, the referee not spotting it, before Breen shot over from 18-yards. On 70 minutes, Anto Flood struck a shot from the right of the box, which was deflected, but Cherrie gathered rather comfortably.

Moments later, Dundalk should have been in front as Griffin turned the Bohs defence inside the box and pulled the ball back for Quigley but he got it all wrong as he shot over. Quigley was then fouled outside the box as his shirt was dragged, but the referee waved play on, which allowed the visitors to break, but Cherrie did well to block Flood’s powerful shot. Substitute Buckley hit a late effort wide, as the sides now prepare for a replay on Tuesday night.

Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Simon Madden, Cian Byrne, Dean Bennett, Carl McHugh; Johnny Breen, Keith Ward, Greg Bolger, Ross Gaynor; Mark Quigley, Mark Griffin (Jason Byrne 79).
Unused Subs: Paul Murphy (GK), Nathan Murphy, Stephen McDonnell, Philip Duffy, Chris Reilly, Glen Trainor.
Booked: Bolger (39), J Byrne (80).

Bohemians: Barry Murphy; Owen Heary, Liam Burns, Aidan Price, Mark Rossiter; Ger O’Brien (Stephen Traynor 83), Glenn Cronin, Stephen Hurley (Robert Bayly 67), Killian Brennan; Anto Flood (Keith Buckley 76), Aidan Downes.
Unused Subs: Craig Sexton (GK), Roberto Lopez, Christy Fagan, Kevin Feely.
Booked: Flood (74).

Referee: Anthony Buttimer (Cork).
Attendance: 1,400.
Man of the Match: Mark Quigley (Dundalk).