Mansaram goal gives Bohs the win
Monday 25th June 2007, 10:41 pm
Darren Mansaram, Bohemians.
Photo by Tom Carey.
25th June 2007
eircom League of Ireland Premier Division
Bohemians 1
Darren Mansaram 45
Waterford United 0
Dalymount Park
Live on Setanta Ireland
Darren Mansaram's first league goal for Bohemians gave the Gypsies a 1-0 win over Waterford United in the Premier Division of the eircom League of Ireland tonight.
An early flick at goal by Glen Crowe forced a save from former team-mate Dean Delaney in the visiting goal. However, the game itself was far from a classic with a strong wind causing problems for both sides.
Shane Harte might have done better in front of the Bohs goal but headed tamely wide after a good cross from Alan Mulcahy on 20 minutes. Four minutes later Vinny Sullivan fluffed his shot straight into the hands of Brian Murphy after a good break by the visitors.
Throughout the game, Waterford keeper Delaney pulled out a hat-trick of great saves to deny the home side. On the half hour he pushed away Crowe's near post drive after the striker had been slotted in by a magnificent Dessie Byrne through ball.
Another spell of pressure moments later saw Sullivan flash a volley side of Murphy's goal. It then looked as though the Blues - playing in white tonight - would be punished before half-time as Mansaram struck the outside of the post after a mazy run at goal.
Former Sligo Rovers player Mansaram did find the net on the stroke of 45 minutes. He held off Alan Keely to guide home an overhead kick from another near perfect ball in from Byrne.
Just after the break Harte curled a free kick just over the Bohs bar from a good position.
Delaney was sharply off his line to intercept a Manasaram burst forward, the keeper just getting a vital touch whilst sliding outside of his area.
As time ticked by, Waterford's lack of goals this season compared to Bohs' tight defence suggested the home side were going to win, long before Anthony Buttimer blew the final whistle.
Delaney pulled off another superb save just after the hour as he pushed away Thomas Heary's driven near post shot from close range.
Waterford might have levelled fifteen minutes from the end but Sullivan couldn't force a bouncing ball past Murphy, hitting instead his grounded team-mate Robert Brosnan.
Waterford couldn't create much more and they were again saved by Delaney in injury time when the keeper made another good stop to push away a shot from Fergal Harkin.
The win lifts Bohs back up to third and ahead of Shamrock Rovers with the two clubs due to meet on Friday night.
Bohemians : Murphy, O Heary, Byrne, Pooley, Burns, Hunt, Kelly (Powell 65), Kingsberry (Harkin 31), T Heary, Mansaram, Crowe (Fenn 76).
Waterford United : Delaney, Flynn, Hedderman, Browne, Keely, Warren, Mulcahy, McCarthy, Harte (Kavanagh 72), Sullivan, Brosnan