SOCCER: Olimpija Ljubljana 2 Bohemians 0SLOVENIAN INTERNATIONAL Dare Vrsic scored twice, from a penalty and a controversial, if stunningly executed, free-kick, to leave Bohemians with a difficult night ahead of them in the second leg at Dalymount next week.
And as Bohemians left Ljubljana early this morning they remained livid with Portuguese referee Carlos Xistra. “I’m disappointed, because when you don’t concede from play you have to think your game plan’s been quite good,” said Bohemians manager Pat Fenlon afterwards.
“I thought both decisions, for the penalty and the free-kick were very, very dubious, particularly the free-kick. The penalty was hard for me to see and the free-kick was a great tackle from Owen (Heary), the player fell into him. To concede two set-pieces is more disappointing than anything.”
Olimpija enjoyed all the possession as Bohemians were on the back foot from the off. A couple of early scares were followed on nine minutes by right winger Matic Fink rattling Barry Murphy’s crossbar from 20 yards. Another let-off for Bohemians arrived on 26 minutes. Davor Skerjanc got to the end line to pull the ball back across the face of the goal, but Anej Lovrecic kneed the ball over the bar from just yards out.
But just as Bohemians looked to be holding out for the interval, it went pear-shaped in stoppage time. First captain Owen Heary somehow cleared off the line from Skerjanc from Fink’s ball. Seconds later Murphy clattered into the back of home skipper Dalibor Radujko as he came for Lovrecic’s dinked ball into the area. Portuguese referee Carlos Xistra didn’t hesitate in pointing to the spot. And though Murphy dived correctly to his left, Vrsic’s spot-kick powered into the corner of the net.
Olimpija remained well on top and got their second, perhaps killer goal, on 76 minutes. Bohemians felt Fink tripped himself on the edge of the area. But despite their protests, Vrsic’s brilliant direct free went in off the underside of the bar.
“The heat was sapping and the work-rate from the players was incredible,” added Fenlon in praise of his players. “I don’t think anyone could realise how warm it was out there.
“They are good players,” he said of Olimpija, “they moved the ball well and they had good movement.
“But I thought we coped OK. We soaked up a lot of pressure Ok and I can’t remember when they played little one-twos and got in behind us.
“I thought they got frustrated up to the goal, the penalty. It will be difficult,” added Fenlon on the prospects for the return. “We’ve got to score the first goal and see how they reaction, do they panic a little bit. It’s about scoring the first goal. They are a good side and we’ll have our work cut out.
OLIMPIJA LJUBLJANA:Dzafic; Jovic, Sretenovic, Andelkovic, Bozic; Lovrecic (Ranic, 54 mins), Radujko; Fink (Cadikovski, 76 mins), Vrsic, Skerjanc (Omladic, h/t); Valencic.
BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Heary, Burns, Price, Cahill; O'Brien; Buckley, Cronin (Rossiter, 87 mins), Bayly (Traynor, 64 mins), Brenann; Fagan (Flood, 62 mins).
Referee: Carlos Xistra (Portugal).
