Sport

Forrester cuts through at the death to salvage a point

Bohemians 1 Bray Wanderers 1: HAVING STITCHED a squad together so fast and furiously at the end of an uncertain pre-season this…

Tue May 03 2011 - 01:00

Bohemians 1 Bray Wanderers 1:HAVING STITCHED a squad together so fast and furiously at the end of an uncertain pre-season this was always likely to be an exacting campaign for Pat Fenlon's Bohemians.

So with each passing week the fluctuating results continue to interest the diehards, who remain committed to the Gypsies’ cause as they monitor a team with a nice cocktail of youth and experience.

Bray Wanderers were on the verge of climbing into second place in the table, but a passionate late Bohemians rally culminated in a sweet stoppage-time equaliser from 18-year-old Chris Forrester following a sustained spell of pressure from the hosts.

The home side’s inadequacies were utterly apparent during a tepid opening period that was short on incident and opportunities and Fenlon deserves to be commended for straining every sinew and attempting to coax performances from a team in which a string of players are being forced into unfamiliar positions.

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Ger O’Brien, normally a fullback, was pressed into service in the centre of the park alongside Robert Bayly, but they struggled to thread passes through a Bray midfield trio that was anchored in a solid fashion by Gary Dempsey.

Ollie Cahill, for so long the flying winger, is now using his guile at left full, and his nous denied Bray three minutes before the end of the first half when dispossessing John Mulroy following a Chris Shields delivery.

Bray’s confidence levels were increasing and the visitors pounced for the lead four minutes after the restart. Bohs goalkeeper Chris O’Connor saved a blistering Jake Kelly shot, but Mulroy reacted sharply in the area to nudge Bray ahead from 14 yards.

Inevitably Bohemians rallied in the closing stages as Matt Gregg saved a free kick from Killian Brennan, while Bayly was thwarted by the crossbar. But parity was restored in stoppage time when teenager Forrester’s sizzling strike went through a cluster of bodies.

BOHEMIANS: OConnor; Heary, Price, Burns, Cahill (Forrester 70); Brennan, OBrien, Bayly, Burke (Fowler 87); Traynor, Flood.

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Webster, Mitchell, Prendergast, Massey; Mulroy (Zambra 72), OConnor, Dempsey, Shields, Kelly; Murphy (ONeill 75).

Referee: D Hancock (Dublin).