Bohs and Drogs finish scoreless
Friday 9th March 2007, 9:56 pm
Kevin Hunt and Stuart Byrne in a typical midfield battle.
Photo by Tom Carey.
9th March 2007
eircom League of Ireland Premier Division
Bohemians 0
Drogheda United 0
Dalymount Park
Live on RTE TV
Bohemians and Drogheda United played out a 0-0 draw at Dalymount Park tonight and although the game didn't produce a goal there were a number of talking points.
Bohemians handed starts and competitive club debuts to Brian Murphy, Liam Burns, Owen Heary, Darren Pooley and Neale Fenn with Glen Crowe also making his return to the club. Drogheda gave new boys Stuart Byrne and Ollie Cahill first league starts for the club with Glen Fitzpatrick getting the nod to partner Declan O'Brien up front.
Bohs started the brighter keeping the Drogs on the back foot for almost the entire first five minutes of the contest. It was to be the story of the game as few clear-cut chances were created.
Simon Webb and Brian Shelley cut off Neale Fenn's route to goal.
Photo by Tom Carey.
John-Paul Kelly terrorized the visiting defence virtually every time he gained possession but an air of rustiness in the new look Bohs side saw them struggle to break through the as usual well organised Drogheda back line.
Stuart Byrne's long range shot after twelve minutes came as the first real attempt at goal before Shane Robinson headed tamely into Murphy's hand from a Cahill free kick.
Robinson went close again when he flashed a shot across goal but the chance of the game arrived just three minutes after half-time and Drogheda should have taken the lead.
Damien Lynch heads away from former team-mate Glen Crowe.
Photo by Tom Carey.
Fitzpatrick got in behind the Bohs defence as their offside trap failed but when faced by just Murphy, he could only fire straight at the goalkeeper.
Fitzpatrick was again off key as he missed the target from another good position minutes later. Paul Keegan came closer with a low driven shot.
Despite Drogheda creating the better chances, Bohs were still looking capable of nicking a goal and Crowe almost took advantage of some defensive dithering.
Drogheda's first real penalty shout came just after the hour when Robinson went down in a tangle of legs with Dessie Byrne. An identical incident occurred in the closing ten minutes with Byrne again getting the benefit of the doubt.
Simon Webb had his old club worried when his looping cross started dropping towards goal but a well positioned Murphy claimed easily before the ball even came close to the line.
Darren Mansaram holds onto possession despite the attentions of Paul Keegan and Graham Gartland.
Photo by Tom Carey.
Tony Grant was brought in for Fitzpatrick and although he tried, he couldn't make much of an impact.
Darren Mansaram almost marked his debut with a goal but just couldn't get the connection necessary before Dan Connor's goal just about survived following a scramble.
O'Brien flashed a shot across the face of the Bohs goal in the closing five minutes but Murphy pushed it away at full stretch.
If Dessie Byrne got the benefit of the doubt in the two earlier incidents, he was amazingly fortunate in the dying minutes as he appeared to push the ball away with his hand from O'Brien and Robinson in the box.
Declan O'Brien gets away from Dean Pooley.
Photo by Tom Carey.
Drogheda's sense of injustice heightened when O'Brien's deflected shot didn't even earn a corner.
Overall both managers will be at least relieved not to have lost. Having virtually rebuilt the team,
Bohs' Sean Connor was always going to need a settling in period. Drogheda's striking options remain a worry and unless a partnership can be found, they may struggle to score.
Bohemians : Murphy, O Heary, Byrne, Burns, McGuinness, Hunt, Pooley (Rice 85), Kelly, Harkin (Rossiter 61), Fenn (Mansaram 71), Crowe.
Drogheda United : Connor, Lynch, Webb, Gartland, Shelley, Keegan, Byrne, Cahill, Robinson, Fitzpatrick (Grant 71), O'Brien.