Long wants no let-up as Devoy drives Bohs charge

EUROPEAN qualification may be safely tucked away, with three games to spare, but Bohemians boss Keith Long says there will be no let-up from his young side between now and the end of the season.

Goals from Andre Wright (two) and Danny Grant got the win for a Bohs side inspired by superb teenage talent Dawson Devoy, points which guarantee them Europa League football in 2021, but for Cork it’s a grim outlook as they remain bottom of the table.

Only three years ago, Cork were champions in a season where they finished 29 points ahead of the Gypsies but now it’s the Phibsboro club who are on an upward trajectory while City, with just one point from the last four games, look like the very best they can hope for is a relegation play-off, with automatic relegation on the menu.

“It was our primary objective for the season, to try and qualify for Europe again, and we have done that with games to spare,” said Long.

“It’s been a disjointed season but the boys have been excellent since we came back. They worked extremely hard over lockdown, they have worked very hard and are getting their rewards for that, it’s great for the club.

Difficult

“We have three games left and we will try and win them all, try and keep some good form going into a cup quarter-final against Dundalk, which will be very difficult.”

Bohs toyed with Cork, managed by caretaker boss Colin Healy in the wake of Neale Fenn’s exit, early on with chances for Dan Casey, Devoy and Rob Cornwall before Wright put them in front on 16 minutes, the striker set up by a clever pass from wide man Promise Omochere.

On 20 minutes, Bohs were 2-0 up, a nightmare goal for City ’keeper Mark McNulty but a dream one for Grant. Conor Levingston punted the ball towards Grant and the winger, who scored a hat-trick six days earlier, lobbed McNulty from distance.

Wright headed in his second on 51 minutes from a Devoy cross.

BOHEMIANS – Talbot; Lyons, Casey, Cornwall (Barker 77), Breslin; Buckley (Lunney 77), Levingston (Ward 65); Grant, Devoy, Omochere (Tierney 75); Wright (Corcoran 75).

CORK CITY – McNulty; Kargbo, Olowu, O’Brien, O’Connor; Dinanga (Kennedy 65), Holland, Morrissey, Galvin (Murphy 86), Bargary (Ochieng 77); Dalling.

REF – S Grant