- Simon O'Gorman
- Fri, May 25 2012
Dave Scully hit a Cup hat-trick on Friday night as Bohemians eased past Ulster Senior League opponents Drumkeen United to reach the third round of the FAI Cup.
Whenever Cup competitions throw non-league minnows in against league aristocracy the fates demand at least a bow of courtesy towards a giant killing, but it took Bohemians just 55 seconds to cure Drumkeen United of any romantic notions they may have had.
Derek Pender created the early opening, rolling a simple ball in to the feet of Bohs striker Dave Scully, and the ease with which he turned his close range shot past Drumkeen ‘keeper Paul McCauley was a sign of what would follow.
With wide men Karl Moore and Peter McMahon stretching the play, and a three man central midfield denying the visitors possession it was a thankless opening 45 minutes for the Ulster Senior League side, who only got their first effort on target five minutes before the break.
By that stage Bohemians were 2-0 up thanks to a second goal from full back Roberto Lopes on 24 minutes. It came from an excellent chipped cross to the back post from Peter McMahon which Lopes initially met with his head. Failing to get enough on it, Lopes followed up himself, drilling the loose ball home from close range.
McCauley had already denied Dave Mulcahy with a brave stop on 12 minutes, and he came to his side’s rescue again four minutes later when he got in the way of McMahon’s accurate back post header. And the chances would continue to come for the league side.
Mulcahy almost battled through three defenders before a Drumkeen leg ended his charge, referee Derek Tomney seeing nothing in the home side’s half hearted appeals for a penalty. And Keith Ward really should have done better when Scully’s low pass found him just six yards out and with only McCauley to beat on the half hour. The midfielder lobbed the ball wide when a more agricultural approach might have been more appropriate.
McMahon then had an attempted lob charged down by the Drumkeen keeper on 39 minutes when clean through and Dave Scully wasted a chance to shoot from close range in added time at the end of the half, turning back into traffic before eventually whipping a belated shot wide.
If it had been a demoralising first half for Drumkeen, then full credit for doing something about it. From the start of the second period they committed men forwards and pursued the seemingly impossible with admirable intent. And six minutes after the restart Richard Moore had clattered a shot just wide of Craig Sexton’s goal.
Despite Drumkeen’s newly forged conviction, it continued to be Bohemians who looked the more likely to score. McMahon shot too close to the keeper when played through the inside right channel and Keith Ward popped a chipped effort off the crossbar on the hour mark.
Evan McMillan also came close, meeting Ward’s corner with a firm header and sending it back across goal but narrowly wide before Dave Scully bagged his second of the night and Bohs’ third. Racing on to a ball over the top, Scully poked it over McCauley before following in to finish with a diving header from point blank range.
Scully then secured his hat-trick when he was in the right place at the right time to nudge the ball home from a yard out after Drumkeen failed to clear a free kick. At this point things could have gotten ugly for the visitors with Bohs constantly threatening to add to their total.
Substitute James Ratiff didn’t help matters with a reckless challenge on Dan Mahon that earned him his second yellow of the game on and an early trip to the showers after 78 minutes. Overwhelmed, Drumkeen conceded a fifth five minutes from time when Dave Mulcahy charged through, heading the ball around McCauley and blasting a volley into the empty net.
In the end, both result and performance were emphatic and Bohemians were never in any danger of generating Cup Shock headlines, while Drumkeen will return to the Ulster Senior League knowing they were beaten by a fundamentally better team.
Bohemians: Craig Sexton (Greg Murray 77); Derek Pender, Evan McMillan, Kevin Feely, Roberto Lopes; Karl Moore, Keith Ward (Adam Martin 69), Dave Mulcahy, Ryan McEvoy, Peter McMahon (Dan Mahon 71); David Scully.
Subs Not Used: Danny Joyce, Andy Mulligan, Stephen Traynor, Dwayne Wilson.
Bookings: None.
Drumkeen United: Paul McCauley; Ryan Gildea, Shaun Gallagher, Ray Quinn (James Ratiff 46), Benny Bonner; Gary Patton (Raymond Sweeney 58), Philip Whyte (Eunan Doherty 74), Mark Marley, Peter McNamee; Richard Moore, Sean Ferry.
Subs Not Used: Aaron Doherty, Chris Kyle, Gavin Reilly, Justin Deasley.
Bookings: Gallagher (41), Ratiff (56), Marley 76).
Sent off: Ratiff (78).
Referee: Derek Tomney.
Attendance: 510.
Extratime Man of the Match: David Scully.
