Soccer

Round-up: Bohemians go top with win over St Pat’s

Derry and Dundalk draw as Drogheda beat UCD

Bohemians' Jonathan Afolabi celebrates scoring with his manager Declan Devine. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Bohemians' Jonathan Afolabi celebrates scoring with his manager Declan Devine. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Fri Mar 10 2023 - 22:26

St Patrick’s Athletic 0 Bohemians 2

Bohemians moved to the summit of the Premier Division with a two-goal triumph over St Patrick’s Athletic in a Dublin derby encounter at Richmond Park on Friday night.

While they breathed a sigh of relief when Saints midfielder Chris Forrester had a goal ruled out in the opening moments, the ever-passionate Bohs faithful were given a reason to rejoice in the 17th-minute of the contest. From an enticing cross by Ali Coote on the left-flank, Gypsies striker Jonathan Afolabi rose highest to head powerfully into the St Pat’s net.

Trailing by a goal at the break on their home patch, St Pat’s were looking for a spark on the resumption to avoid a third straight league defeat in the early weeks of this year’s top-flight. They nearly got it 10 minutes into the second half, but Gypsies custodian James Talbot produced a superb stop to turn away Thomas Lonergan’s close-range header.

Tim Clancy’s hosts then suffered a setback when Jamie Lennon was dismissed for a second yellow card offence inside the final-quarter. Although St Pat’s battled admirably in his absence, Bohs’ fourth victory of the season was confirmed when substitute Dean Williams found the net in stoppage-time.

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ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Odumosu; Grivosti (Lewis, 16 mins), Redmond, McGrath (Carty, 77 mins); Curtis, Forrester, Kreida, Lennon, Breslin; Lonergan (Doyle, 70 mins), Mulraney (Atakayi, 70 mins).

BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Horton, Nowak, Radkowski, Kirk; Flores, McManus; Coote, McDonnell (Clarke, 87 mins), Akintunde (McDaid, 63 mins); Afolabi (Williams, 57 mins).

Referee: N Doyle (Dublin)

Derry City 0 Dundalk 0

Derry City surrendered their lead atop the Premier Division after a draw with Dundalk at the Brandywell Stadium.

The Foyleside club totally dominated the play in the second half but failed to breach Nathan Shepperd’s goal with centre back Andy Boyle in superb form at the heart of the Dundalk defence.

A brace of hamstring injuries – one for each side – was the main talking point from the opening stages.

Derry centre back, Mark Connolly pulled up in the 13th minute before being stretchered off while Dundalk winger, Daniel Kelly, limped off in the 25th minute with a similar injury.

And with clear-cut scoring chances at a premium, the big Brandywell crowd began to get frustrated. That said striker, Jamie McGonigle had two opportunities within as many minutes to break the deadlock.

In the 27th minute his strike was parried by Shepperd before McGonigle headed his second effort over the crossbar when  well placed to open the scoring.

With five minutes of additional time flagged, Derry’s Ryan Graydon got on to a superb diagonal Patrick McEleney pass, the winger’s threatening left-footed curling shot sailed narrowly over the crossbar bringing a disappointing first half to a close.

Dundalk opted for a treble substitution in the 69th minute in an attempt to stem the flow of the play.

Ben Doherty flashed a thunderous strike at the Dundalk goal in the 86th minute, with Shepperd producing a superb diving save at the expense of a corner. And from that corner Derry sub Ronan Boyce should have won it for the home side but he flashed his free header wide of the Dundalk goal.

DERRY CITY: Maher; Coll, Connolly (Boyce, 16), S. McEleney, Doherty; Diallo, P. McEleney; Graydon, Patching, McEneff (O’Neill, 54); McGonigle (Kavanagh, 74).

DUNDALK: Shepperd; Davies, Muller, Boyle, Leahy; Malley (Martin, 59); Kelly (Lewis, 26),  Sloggett, Tulloch (Benson, 69); Yli-Kokko (O’Kane, 69); Hoban (Elliott, 69).

Referee: R Hennessy

UCD 0 Drogheda United 1

Emmanuel Adegboyega proved a match winner with his first senior goal as Drogheda United maintained their bright start to the season with victory at the UCD Bowl.

The 19-year-old centre back met Dayle Rooney’s 73rd minute free kick to glance a header to the far corner of the net for the only goal of the game.

Drogheda move up to fourth in the table on eight points, five more than they had after five games last year, as UCD remain bottom.

The visitors were much the better side in the first half with chances falling to Darragh Markey, Freddie Draper and Dylan Grimes as UCD had to defend stoutly.

With more purpose to their game from the restart, UCD finally worked Colin McCabe in the Drogheda goal nine minutes in.

Jack Keaney and Adam Wells set up Mark Dignam but McCabe got down well to grasp his low drive.

Drogheda responded with Draper just failing to get the final touch following a surging run and cross from Rooney on 62 minutes.

Keaney was there yet again to block a shot from Markey as Drogheda regained the initiative. Grimes looked set to break the deadlock on 67 minutes, when played in by Rooney, but swept his shot wide.

The breakthrough finally arrived with the influential Rooney the architect when his superbly flighted free kick was met by Adegboyega.

McCabe still needed to make the save of the game to secure all three points when going full stretch to his left to push a free kick from Keaney out for a corner.

UCD: Moore; O’Brien, Keaney, Osam (Izekor, 85); Gallagher (Norris, 68), Wells, Barr (Kinsella-Bishop, 77), Dignam (Higgins, 77); Keane; Behan, Nolan (O’Connor, 85).

DROGHEDA UNITED: McCabe; Ahui, Adegboyega, Keeley, Weir; Deegan, R. Brennan; Grimes (Noone, 87), Markey, Rooney; Draper.

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork)