Bohemians 4 Limerick 1: No shocks here, but Bohemians were given a timely wake up call by a resilient Limerick outfit in the semi-final of the League Cup last night.
In the end, it was stroll but for 45 minutes the shock of the competition looked a distinct possibility.
Limerick, the bottom side in Division one and on a seven game (make that eight) losing streak, treated Bohemians with utter distain. They put all their troubles on and off the field to one side in a workmanlike display.
However, the arrival of Kevin Hunt and Glen Crowe at half-time ultimately tilted the balance.
Limerick sensed a rare opportunity and within nine minutes they led via a Keith Hartnett goal. Ross Cosgrove sent the first of several dangerous angled crosses into the area for the midfielder to finish from three yards out.
Bohemians were asking most of the relevant questions yet, their advances forward and execution was abysmal - Stephen Ward being the exception to the rule.
The hosts rallied before the break with Doyle and Colin Hawkins going close but Damien Lynch's ludicrous slice over the bar in the last minute of the half summed up the initial Bohemians performance.
At the break Robbie Doyle and Stephen Rice were pulled ashore for Hunt and Crowe.
The effect was immediate as Hunt dinked a delightful ball over the defence for Crowe to fire to the net, only for the linesman's flag to deny him the equaliser.
Nevertheless, a marker had been laid down. Hunt began pulling the strings, bringing Bobby Ryan into play down the right and in the 50th minute the winger fed the overlapping Lynch whose centre was tapped in by Ward.
Thereafter, Bohemians ruthlessly upped the tempo and it seemed only a matter of time before the killer blow was struck. Ryan looked to have delivered it but Stephen O'Mahony cleared his overhead kick off the line before Crowe got the second in mildly controversial circumstances.
Limerick were reduced to nine players at the time, while Bohs had 10 on the field, due to a double injury blow moments before Ryan's inswinging corner was side footed home at the near post.
Ward got his second with 20 minutes remaining to cap off a performance that puts him in the frame for a starting role alongside Crowe in next weeks trip to the UEFA cup match in Estonia against Levadia Tallinn. Then in injury time Lynch added the fourth with a smart volley.
BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Lynch, Hawkins, McNally, Webb (Caffrey, 71 mins); Ryan, Morrison, Rice (Hunt, 45 mins) Keddy; Ward, Doyle (Crowe, 45 mins).
LIMERICK: Fyffe; O'Mahony, Lynch (Keogh, 61 mins), Finucane, Aherne; Cosgrove, Conway, Hartnett, Browne, Mernagh (Quigley, 67 mins); O'Brien.
Referee: N Doyle (Dublin).
