Soccer

Airtricity League wrap: Bohs frustrated by Finn Harps late show

Good Friday for Dundalk with win over Sligo; UCD fuming after home defeat to Drogheda

Ethan Boyle celebrates after Finn Harps snatched a point at Bohs. Photograph: Evan Treacy/Inpho

Fri Apr 15 2022 - 22:12

Bohemian FC 2 Finn Harps 2

A 94th minute equaliser from Mark Timlin rescued a point for Finn Harps at Dalymount Park on Friday night.

Finn Harps began the game in disastrous fashion, as Eric McWoods was sent off on seven minutes for a reckless challenge on Tyreke Wilson. Wilson, Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe and Liam Burt went close to putting Bohemians ahead, but it was the visitors who would take an unexpected lead on 20 minutes.

Dundalk players congratulate Daniel Kelly after he scored their second. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

Rory Feely clipped Mihaljevic inside the box before the forward scored from the spot in front of the travelling support.

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David Webster was stretchered off on the half hour mark, in a largely stop-start first half. Devoy’s powerful volley went inches wide just before half-time.

After the break, the hosts took advantage of the extra man and were much more threatening in front of goal. José Carrillo fouled Junior in the box on 50 minutes and Devoy equalised from the spot.

Bohemians took the lead minutes later through Coote’s terrific strike into the top corner as the home side went up a gear. Promise Omochere went close with 15 minutes to go, but his strike was denied by McGinley. Omochere’s dangerous cross found Jordan Flores on 80 minutes, who couldn’t put the game to bed, sending his shot inches wide.

Yet again this season, Bohemians conceded late on as Mahdy played in Timlin who slipped the ball past James Talbot. Keith Long’s side remain sixth while Finn Harps sit in ninth ahead of Easter Monday’s games.

Bohemians: Talbot; Murphy, Feely, Kelly, Wilson; Devoy, Flores (c) (Levingston 84 mins), Burt (Mallon 89 mins), Coote; Omochere, Junior (Twardek 71 mins).

Finn Harps: McGinley; Carrillo, Boyle, Slevin, Webster (c) (Tourish 28 mins) (Timlin 82 mins); McNamee (Héry 66 mins), Connolly (Rudden 82 mins), N'Zeyi, Rainey; McWoods, Mihaljevic (Mahdy 82 mins).

Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford)

Dundalk 2 Sligo Rovers 1

It was a very Good Friday for Dundalk as first half goals from Patrick Hoban and Daniel Kelly saw them move up to third place in the table with just their third win of the season against Sligo Rovers at Oriel Park.

Stephen O’Donnell’s side had to overcome a late scare when Max Mata pulled a goal back from Paddy Kirk’s long throw with three minutes to go but it wasn’t enough to prevent them from slipping to a third defeat in their last four matches.

The home side made the breakthrough on 34 minutes with Hoban tapping home at the back post after Ed McGinty could only flap at Steven Bradley’s cross from the right.

They then doubled their advantage two minutes before the break when Kelly slotted past McGinty from Bradley’s through ball to make it 2-0 at the break.

McGinty made a series of fine saves in the second half to keep the visitors in it and they set up a nervous finish when Mata flicked Kirk’s long throw to the top right hand corner on 87 minutes, but their best chance at a leveller was blazed over by Kirk in stoppage time.

Dundalk: Shepperd; Macari, Connolly, Boyle, Leahy; Sloggett (Bone 81 mins), Williams (Doyle 60 mins), Benson (Adams 20 mins); Bradley, Hoban, Kelly (Martin 81 mins).

Sligo Rovers: McGinty; Banks, Pijnaker, Buckley, Kirk; McDonnell, Bolger (Morahan HT); O'Sullivan (Byrne 79 mins), Mata, Fitzgerald; Keena (Cawley HT).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin)

UCD 0 Drogheda United 2

A controversial Chris Lyons penalty and a fine late second goal from Evan Weir stretched Drogheda Untied’s upbeat run to five games with their third win of the season.

Livid at the concession of the spot kick in a tight game, having felt they might have had one themselves minutes earlier, UCD remain without a win and two points adrift at the foot of the table.

The sides laboured to spark the game to life in a shockingly poor first half.

Ryan Brennan replaced James Clarke at half-time for Drogheda and almost made an immediate impact four minutes in when his dipping volley was batted away one-handed by Lorcan Healy.

Minutes later Dayle Rooney rattled the frame of the goal with a thumping free kick.

With the game finally alive and kicking, UCD had claims for a penalty not entertained when Sam Todd appeared to be pushed over inside the area. It was end to end fare now with Rooney slipping Brennan in to rifle narrowly wide on the hour.

UCD were then left hopping mad when Drogheda took the lead from a penalty on 61 minutes. In trying to clear a Georgie Poynton corner, Sean Brennan was adjudged to have handled the ball off his upper arm. Referee Adriano Reale pointed to the spot with Lyons sending Healy the wrong way from 12 yards.

Left-back Weir then sealed Drogheda’s win on 89 minutes, collecting Rooney’s pass to turn and shoot home from a tight angle.

UCD: Healy; Dunne (Ryan 34 mins), Gallagher, Todd, Osam; Brennan; Kerrigan (Nolan 67 mins), Higgins (Gill 73 mins), Caffrey, Duffy; Whelan.

Drogheda United: Long; Quinn, Roughan, Massey, Weir; Deegan, Clarke (Brennan HT); Poynton, Nugent (Heeney 90 mins), Rooney; Lyons.

Referee: Adriano Reale (Kildare)