- Patrick O'Connor
- Sat, Sep 14 2024
Patrick O’Connor reports from the Belfield Bowl
Bohemians had a comfortable passage through to the semi-final of the FAI Cup when they had a routine 4-0 win over UCD at the Belfield Bowl on Friday night.
The result takes them one step closer to a return to the Aviva Stadium in November, and a third appearance at the cup final in four years.
Their previous two attempts at winning the competition were both unsuccessful but on the basis of their recent form, and particularly this showing against UCD, they may well repeat the success of their 2008 team and bring the trophy back to Phibsborough this year.
The Students kept the scoreline to the bare minimum in the first half of the game but once they were reduced to ten men early in the second half there was an inevitability about the result and they conceded three more goals before referee Damian McGrath brought the game to a conclusion.
The Gypsies were on the front foot from the start and played some delightful football on a well-manicured Belfield pitch with Ross Tierney, Archie Meekson and Jordan Flores dominating the midfield exchanges.
They thought they had a penalty in the 22nd minute when Danny Grant went down in the UCD box, but he seemed to stumble himself rather than be pushed so McGrath correctly waived away the penalty claims of the Bohs players.
They did find the net in the 34th minute however and it was the very much inform Tierney who broke the deadlock.
Another flowing move saw the ball end up with Grant on the left wing and after ghosting past the UCD defence he fired a low cross into the box to allow the inrushing Tierney flash the ball past Kian Moore to open the scoring.
It remained 1-0 at the half time break and UCD’s best chance of a goal came just after the restart when Raggett’s header from a corner came off the cross bar before keeper Kacper Chorazka eventually gathered the ball after a goal mouth scramble.
The game was effectively over between the 55th and 59th minutes when first Tierney scored his second goal from close range and four minutes later UCD had a player red carded.
James Clarke was through on goal and when he was hauled down by UCD’s Niall Holohan and McGrath had no option but to send him off.
Both managers emptied their benches and the strength in depth of Alan Reynold’s squad was very evident as two of his substitutions ended up on the score sheet.
Alex Grieve came on for the injured Tierney and he made in 3-0 with a fine strike in the 88th minute and with the last kick of the game in the 93rd minute, Estonian international Martin Miller put the final nail in the UCD coffin with a shot from outside the box to leave it 4-0.
Bohemians now join Wexford, Drogheda United and either Shelbourne or Derry City at the semi final stage while UCD bow out and focus on the First Division promotion play-off race.
UCD: Kian Moore; Éanna Clancy, Niall Holohan, Luke O'Regan, Adam Wells; Adam Brennan, Ronan Finn (Donal Higgins 83), Mikey McCullagh (Ciaran Behan 62), Adam Verdon (Hugh Parker 62) Jake Doyle (Harry Curtis 62), Michael Raggett (Stephen Mohan 62).
Subs not used: Dara Kavanagh, Alex Dunne, Sam Norval, Colin Bolton,
Booked: Luke O'Regan (26),
Sent off: Niall Holohan (59)
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Cian Byrne, Leigh Kavanagh, Patrick Kirk, Liam Smith; Jordan Flores (James McManus), Archie Meekison (Martin Miller 81) Ross Tierney (Alexander Greive 68) James Clarke, Daniel Grant (Declan McDaid 81), Dayle Rooney.
Subs not used: James Talbot, Jevon Mills, Jake Carroll, Brian McManus, Oluwaseun Akintunde.
Booked: Ross Tierney (46)
Referee: Damian MacGraith
Attendance: 2236.
extratime.com Player of the Match: Ross Tierney (Bohemians)
