- Patrick O'Connor
- Sat, Sep 18 2021
Patrick O’ Connor reports from Dalymount Park
Bohemians eased into the semi-finals of the FAI Cup when they easily overcame 10-man Maynooth University Town by 4-0 at Dalymount Park on Friday night.
The Gypsies started the game without established stars such as Georgie Kelly, Ali Coote and Liam Burt and withdraw three others at half time and were still in total control of the game throughout the 90 plus minutes.
Maynooth, the only non-league side who advanced as far as the quarter finals, were rank outsiders before a ball was kicked but theirs became an impossible task when they were reduced to 10 men in the 32nd minute.
The students started well enough and caused a few problems for the home defence with some long balls through to their willing centre forward Jack O’ Connor, but their early resistance was broken after a quarter of an hour when Bohs got the opening goal of the match.
The goal itself was scrappy enough. Keith Ward jinked through on the right-hand side of the box, lost control of the ball but it fell into the path of captain Keith Buckley who stabbed it past David Sterio in the Maynooth goal.
The game was turned on its head however by a series of events which happened between the 32nd and 36th minute.
Alex Kelly of Maynooth was shown a red card by referee Adriano Reale for a rash challenge and from the first Bohs attack after the restart it was 2-0. Tyreke Wilson got to the bye line and whipped in a great cross which the inrushing Conor Levingstone crashed to the back of the net.
In the 36th minute the result was put beyond doubt when the lively Ward drifted in behind the Maynooth defence in a central position and controlled a great long through ball from Ciaran Kelly before slipping it past Sterio.
Keith Long was able to make three half time substitutions without disrupting Bohemians patterns of play or their dominance of the game.
One of those substitutions, Roland Idowu, was highly impressive when he came on and scored their fourth and final goal in the 61st minute.
Ex-St Joseph’s and St Kevin’s Boys player Idowu is 19 years old and was released by Cardiff City during the summer before being snapped up by Long in August.
His goal was very much all of his own making, taking a pass just inside the half way line and striding straight through the centre of the visitor’s defence before confidently placing it past Sterio.
The game slowed to a pedestrian pace for the final 15 minutes as Maynooth ran out of steam and they had 10 players camped in their own half trying to prevent a fifth goal, which, to their credit they succeeded in doing.
Maynooth’s was a very gallant effort throughout but they bow out and return to Leinster Senior League action next weekend while Bohemians look to be in prime condition for at attack on the Cup as well as securing a top four position in the league.
Bohemians: James Talbot; Andy Lyons (Robert Mahon 46), Tyreke Wilson, Rory Feely, Ciaran Kelly, Conor Levingston, Keith Ward, Keith Buckley © (James Finnerty 46), Dawson Devoy (Roland Idowu 46) Jamie Mullins, Aaron Doran (Cole Kiernan 65).
Subs not used: Stephen McGuinness, Anto Breslin, Rob Cornwall, Ross Tierney.
Booked: None.
Maynooth University Town: David Sterio; Darragh Gannon, Alex Fitzgibbon, Conor Dunne©, Jake Corrigan, Alex Kelly, Ryan Jackson (Conor Delahunty 60) Conor Foley, Jack O ‘Connor (Sven Biansumba 60), Patrick O’ Sullivan (Janabi Amour 60), Eoin O’ Neill (Sean Traynor 37).
Subs not used: Adam Leonard; Pierce Dylan, Conor Mooney, Sean Hancock, Josh Hogan.
Sent Off: Alex Kelly (32).
Referee: Adriano Reale
Attendance: 2,000 (estimate)
Extratime.com Player of the Match: Ciaran Kelly (Bohemians)
