- Dave Donnelly
- Sat, May 30 2015
A second half double from Robbie Creevy sent Bohemians on their way to the third round of the FAI Cup with an unconvincing 4-1 win over Firhouse Clover at Dalymount Park.
The Gypsies took the lead in the first half through Jason Byrne before Lee Synnott's penalty gave the Tallaght side deserved parity at the break. Clover wilted in the second half and the home side cruised to victory thanks to goals from Creevy and Kealan Dillon.
Bohemians coach Keith Long made three changes from the side that started the goalless draw here against Bray; Dean Delany returned from suspension to take his place in goal, while Paddy Kavanagh and Derek Pender dropped out, the latter having sustained a serious-looking injury last week.
Clover boss Peter Flood was able to make 11 changes from the side that secured the Lanigan Cup on Monday, with returns for former Shamrock Rovers duo David Vickery and Glenn Walsh as well as goalscorer in the previous round, Carl Wynne.
The home side took control of the game from the outset and had almost complete dominance of the football for the opening quarter hour, but had only a poor Jason Byrne header from Adam Evans' cross as evidence for their endeavour.
Firhouse, meanwhile, were content to allow their hosts time on the ball and sought to make gains on the counter-attack, and captain Vickery was just inches away from playing in Luke Synnott, only for a vital interception from Ireland U18 tourist Stephen Best.
James O'Brien then forced a corner from Karl Moore's pull-back, before Byrne headed over again after more good work from Moore.
It was the Moore-Byrne combination that linked up when the goal finally did come, the former Galway United winger doing well to find Byrne unmarked on the six-yard box.
The league's record currently-active goalscorer somehow managed to scoop his shot onto the bar when it seemed easier to score, but the rebound fell kindly for the Tallaght man to stab the ball past Clover 'keeper Brian O'Reilly.
It was a lead the home side could scarcely claim to deserve, and they were almost pegged back within 30 seconds as strong running from Anto O'Rourke saw him break into the Bohs’ box and blast the ball left-footed at Delany, but the Bohs number one stood strong.
Bohemians appeared rattled by how easily Clover sliced them apart, and they suffered the same fate moments later as Carl Wynne broke into the box and centred for Synnott, but Delany made a goal-saving interception.
Moments later, a slick, one-touch passing move involving Harmony Mercer and O'Rourke saw Wynne skip into the box where he fell under Best's challenge. Referee Ben Connolly pointed straight to the spot and Synnott slotted the penalty, meaning Clover went into half-time with the scoreboard equality their performance merited.
Clover began the second half with the intensity with which they finished the last, but lacked the quality they'd shown to draw level.
Gradually Bohemians re-asserted their control on the game, and took the lead with ten minutes played in the second period; Robbie Creevy finding time and space in the box to pick his spot in O'Reilly's left-hand corner.
Five minutes later, the Gypsies effectively put the tie to bed as Roberto Lopes surged into the box and poked past O'Reilly; the ball seemed destined to bounce in off the post, but Creevy slid in to make sure and nick his second of the game.
Keith Long brought on Dean Kelly for Karl Moore as he sought to close the game out, but lost captain Lopes to injury shortly after, heralding a return to action for Daniel Byrne, who hasn't played since suffering knee ligament damage here in the Cup 11 months ago.
O'Rourke had an opportunity to get Firhouse back in the match 15 minutes from time after capitalising on good work from Mercer, but blasted his shot wide from a good position, and Dillon wrapped up the victory shortly after when he nodded into an empty net.
Bohemians: Dean Delany; Roberto Lopes (Daniel Byrne 68), Stephen Best, Derek Prendergast, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Robbie Creevy, Kealan Dillon, James O'Brien (Keith Buckley 78), Adam Evans, Karl Moore (Dean Kelly 64); Jason Byrne.
Subs not used: Lee Stacey (gk), Jason Caffrey, Jake Hyland, Adam Wixted.
Booked: Prendergast (70).
Firhouse Clover: Brian O'Reilly; Stephen Fitzgerald, John Phillips (Darren O'Grady 77), Brian Cullen, Glenn Walsh; David Vickery, Peter O'Donnell, Anthony O'Rourke, Harmony Mercer, Carl Wynne; Luke Synnott.
Subs not used: David O'Keefe (gk), Kevin O'Neill, Craig Rothery, Aidan Canavan, Bernard Ogene.
Booked: None.
Referee: Ben Connolly.
Official attendance: 717.
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Roberto Lopes (Bohemians).
