Bohs serve up fine display to give fans hope for next chapter
ON A night when a raucous Dalymount Park found its voice again, Bohemians served up a performance to ignite their season and which suggests that whoever takes over this team will have plenty of raw materials to work with.
Only a week after a lethargic and listless performance brought Declan Devine’s tenure to an end, the Gypsies delivered their most complete performance of the season. Dayle Rooney’s first goal for his new club and James Akintunde’s poked finish from a cleverly-worked corner set Bohs on their way to a vital three points, even if Ronan Boyce’s excellent finish from the edge of the box did mean a nervous and frenetic finale for the home support among the 4,256 crowd.
Derry City were disappointing for large parts of this game, looking nothing like prospective champions. Dylan Connolly’s pace and energy caused problems for them and they had Brian Maher to thank for keeping them in this contest, the Ireland under21 goalkeeper making a superb stop to deny Filip Piszcek early in the second-half.
Maher could do little about Bohemians’ opener, although it did come from a Derry error when Sam Todd chronically under-hit his back-pass and Rooney capitalised, sweeping home an excellent finish into the far corner of the net.
There was half an hour gone but it was no more than the Gypsies deserved. Bohemians are a different outfit when Jordan Flores is in his more natural home of midfield. Jevon Mills, a former Ireland under-19 skipper on loan from Hull City, was making his first start for the Gypsies and that facilitated Flores to return to further up the field.
The captain’s range of passing came to the fore early on, dropping one into the path of Dylan Connolly, a tactic that Bohs would use for much of the firsthalf. Connolly was typically energetic on the right wing.
Mills and Byrne had been showing signs of developing into a decent partnership but in the 20th minute, their encouraging start was undone when the pair collided on the edge of the box. Byrne came off the worse, staggering to the dug-out with the Bohs medical staff and having to be replaced by Aboubacar Keita, the big centre-half on loan from Colorado Rapids.
Pat Hoban had come to Phibsborough on red-hot form but between them, Mills and Keita kept the Candystripes dangerman quiet in the first-half.
Connolly should have made it 2-0 in the 33rd minute when he latched onto Michael Lilander’s ball up the flank and skipped by the hapless Todd before pushing the ball around the on-rushing Maher. The goalkeeper appeared to trip Connolly, although the Gypsies winger’s overly-dramatic tumble did himself no favours and while the incensed Dalymount faithful called for a spotkick, Rob Hennessy had no hesitation but to book Connolly for a dive.
It did little to quell Connolly’s endeavour. Within a few minutes of the restart, he was twisting and turning Cameron McJannet before delivering a lovely cross that Piszczek tried to nod into the corner, only for Maher to make an excellent save. It was the Pole’s last meaningful action as he limped off, becoming Bohs’ latest injury concern in a season when Keith Buckley, Rob Cornwall and Martin Miller are all still in the treatment room.
James McManus did make a welcome return here though, the teenager making his return from a foot injury to replace Flores in the midfield engine room for the final 20 minutes.
Derry had their moments, aside from Boyce’s wonderful strike. Jordan McEneff and Daniel Kelly combined to almost manufacture an equaliser in the 54th minute, but the alert Chorazka made a fine block.
That was to be McEneff’s final contribution as the Candystripes sprung Patrick McEleney from the bench for the final 35 minutes. The action grew more frenetic. Chorazka looked solid when tested, Mills and Keita looked composed. Any prospective manager who was watching will feel there’s plenty in this Bohemians team. BOHEMIANS: Chorzaka; Lilander, Mills, Byrne (Keita 25), Kirk; Connolly, Flores (McManus 72), McDonnell, Clarke (Grant 87), Rooney; Piszczek (Akintunde 50) DERRY CITY: Maher, Boyce, Connolly, Todd (Coll 55), McJannet; O’Relly, McEneff (P McEleney 55), McMullan (Patton 76); Kelly (Patching 76), Hoban REFEREE: R Hennessy (Clare)