Sport

Bohemians lose the head but hopes stay alive

Bohemians 0 Bray Wanderers 0: BOHEMIANS KEPT their slim title hopes alive ahead of Tuesday’s meeting with Shamrock Rovers despite…

Sat Oct 02 2010 - 01:00

Bohemians 0 Bray Wanderers 0:BOHEMIANS KEPT their slim title hopes alive ahead of Tuesday's meeting with Shamrock Rovers despite finishing with nine men.

Mark Quigley and goalkeeper Chris O’Connor were sent off on a night when Bohemians just couldn’t break down Bray who kept them scoreless for the first time in five games this season.

Remarkably, there was consolation on the night for Pat Fenlon as Rovers lost 3-2 at UCD meaning Michael O’Neill’s side can’t win the title back here at Dalymount on Tuesday.

After the scoreless first half, the red mist descended on Bohemians on 72 minutes as Quigley was shown a straight red card for head-butting Adam Mitchell after a needless scuffle.

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It got worse for the home side six minutes later when O’Connor was sent off for taking down Gary Shaw outside his box as the teenager raced onto Shane O’Neill’s flick.

Shaw then brought a good save low down at his right-hand post from substitute goalkeeper Barry Murphy.

Bray pressed against the nine men and Dean Zambra fired wide.

The drama continued as Murphy made another terrific stop from Dane Massey on 89 minutes.

Incredibly, Bohemians might have won it in stoppage time. Subsitute Aaron Greene threaded a ball through for the run of Paul Keegan who brought the stop of the night from Matt Gregg.

Bray almost put to rights the fact they’d failed to score against Bohemians in the four matches this season within two minutes.

A mix-up between O’Connor and defender Brian Shelley almost gifted the ball to the lurking Shaw before it was hacked clear.

Another error gave Wanderers another unexpected sniff of goal on 24 minutes. Winger Quigley’s stray pass put Shaw in with O’Connor having to produce a good save with his feet.

BOHEMIANS: O'Connor; Heary (McGuinness, 62 mins), Shelley, Oman, Rossiter (Murphy, 79 mins); Cretaro, Keegan, Cronin, Quigley; Byrne (Greene, 86 mins), Madden.

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Webster, Prendergast, Mitchell, Houston (Shields, h/t); Zambra, Dempsey, D O'Connor, Massey; Doyle (S O'Neill, 73 mins.), Shaw.

Referee: Padraig Sutton(Clare).