Bohs cruise to Round Two

Wayne Russell and Avery John were the Bohemians heroes as the Dubliners clinched a Champions League showdown against Sweden's…

Wayne Russell and Avery John were the Bohemians heroes as the Dubliners clinched a Champions League showdown against Sweden's HalmstadBK.

Russell made two important saves at a crucial stage of this first qualifying round second leg tie and John, the central defender re-signed fromShelbourne on UEFA's deadline day, weighed in with three telling interceptions to keep the Estonians at bay.

Bohs were 3-0 up from the first leg at Dalymount Park last week, but manager Pete Mahon didn't want to give the Estonians any hopes of staginga fightback by conceding an early goal.

They didn't - thanks to the combined efforts of Russell and John.

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Russell didn't have a save to make until the 23rd minute, but when he was called into the action he was up to the task.

The Estonians' chance stemmed from an uncharacteristic mistake by Shaun Maher, who sliced a clearance into the path of home striker VladimirTselnokov.

But Russell dived to his right to keep out the frontman's angled effort.

Russell denied dangerman Toomas Krom two minutes before the break, diving bravely at the striker's feet as he looked certain to put the homeside in front.

Paul Byrne was also guilty of some slack play in the first-half. He gifted possession to Krom, top scorer in the Estonian league for the past twoseasons, but John was quickly to the rescue.

Bohs were into their stride straight after the interval and forced a corner inside the first minute, but Simon Webb's flag-kick came to nothing.

Byrne and Crowe also went close to scoring in the first-half for Bohs, but Alex Nesovic went closest of all on nine minutes with a shot that wasscrambled off the line by Sergei Bragin.

Crowe was just inches off the target with a header just five minutes into the second-half.

Bohs progress to the second qualifying round was halted when play was suspended because of a thunder storm seven minutes from time.

But the teams eventually went back out, leaving the Irish side to stroll home. PA