Bohs put themselves back in the hunt
Bohemians 2 (Rice 24, Rossiter 90)
St. Patrick’s Athletic 0
Sean Connor admitted that he would consider his team credible title challengers if they managed to get the better of St. Pat’s at Dalymount Park and having seen his side defeat the league leaders 2-0 he can say just that.
Goals from Stephen Rice and Mark Rossiter set the Gypsies on their way to a priceless win, one that now puts them within touching distance of the leaders in this year’s Championship race.
Rice set to ball rolling half-way through the first-half and a late penalty award, after Dave Mulcahy took down Darren Mansaram, gave Rossiter the opportunity to complete the job and send the Gypsy faithful home happy.
For now at least, they are sitting pretty in second place in the table, their highest spot for a very long time, and are only six points behind the Saints, a position they will continue to occupy if Drogheda fail to beat Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds.
Johnny McDonnell and his team will see this match as an opportunity missed, however, as they could have dealt a serious blow to their opponents hopes of keeping pace at the top if they win.
But just like their win over Drogheda seven days earlier had opened up a gap at the top of the table, the loss last night means that they have been brought back into range for prospective challengers.
The Saints were well in the ascendancy early on last night as their midfield seemed to have to edge. Keith Fahey was pulling the strings and Anto Murphy had the better of his marker, Dessie Byrne.
And it was from the right, where Murphy was roaming, that Pat’s created the best of their opportunities in the opening-half as not once, but twice, the lanky winger picked out teammates with low crosses.
The first time it was Mark Quigley and only for the intervention of a defender’s foot the striker would have been notching his ninth of the season. As for the second, well there was no Bohs foot near Gary O Neill and he should really have done better only four yards from goal.
That wastefulness was punished to the maximum on 24 minutes when a swift counter attack from the home side, saw John Paul Kelly launch an inch perfect long-ball into the path of Glen Crowe.
The striker showed that he can not only score goals - he’s already done that six times this season - and his perfect centre was brilliantly finished by Rice, who must have ran all of fifty-yards to keep up with the move.
And Bohs could have been two goals to the good on the stroke of half-time had Alan Kelly pointed to the spot instead of booking his namesake for diving. The challenge may have been inches just outside the box, but JP Kelly insisted that contact was made.
Murphy continued his personal crusade to create the Pat’s equaliser after the break when another of his crosses was picked up by Quigley just on the edge of the box, but he could only lob the ball over the bar with Murphy to beat.
Bohs could have sealed it in the closing stages when Crowe headed over from six out, but the win was confirmed when Rossiter struck home the penalty.
The win was soured, however, as Kelly, the Gypsies playmaker, was stretchered-off with what appeared to be a serious injury.
Thoroughly enjoyable game, Joxer getting injured late on was a blow, hope the little fook is OK. Secondly he got booked for diving from what was a clear foul, debatable if it was a penalty(personally I think it was a free). Another thing this game has confirmed for me, from what I’ve seen this season, is that Pats dont look like a league winning side at all, I fancy Bohs to finish ahead of them in the league and after that Drogheda is all that stands in the way of Bohs championship.