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Bohs and Derry end in stalemate

Saturday 21st July 2007, 9:01 pm

Ken Oman hooks clear under pressure from Darren Mansaram.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Bohemians and Derry City played out a 0-0 draw at Dalymount Park tonight with neither side really even having a reasonable claim to the three points.

Ciaran Martyn's late chance aside, there were few good efforts on goal in the game and respective clean-sheets are the only positives for either side.

With Wolves boss Mick McCarthy and a number of his playing staff - including Stephen Elliott and ex-Bohs player Stephen Ward - watching on, Derry started brightly although as things panned out, the best period of the game was probably the opening twenty minutes.

Kevin McHugh went close with an early effort and then forced a superb save from home keeper Brian Murphy with an eighth minute header across goal.

At the other end goalkeeper Pat Jennings clawed away under pressure from an Owen Heary cross.

McHugh continued his action packed start to the game and fired off target after a mazy run.

After that chances were few and far between. Darren Mansaram headed narrowly wide from a Fergal Harkin cross. Indeed Harkin was one of Bohs livelier players in the first half. He fired wide on the half hour after another good run.

Former Irish international managers Brian Kerr and Mick McCarthy.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Mark Farren went close for Derry but there were questions over whether Owen Heary had shoved him before he squeezed away the shot or not.

Darren Kelly had returned to the Derry team while Sean Hargan and Peter Hutton missed out through possibly injury or suspension. The want away defender blocked bravely as Mansaram set himself for a shot from outside the box.

Indiscipline threatened to break out more than once and eventually did in the second period. The first half saw altercations between Deery and Owen Heary and also between Mansaram and Eddie McCallion. Neither incident provoked action from referee Damien Hancock and it was very surprising that no red card had been shown by the time the final whistle was blown.

The last action of the first period saw Ken Oman head clear superbly as Mansaram drilled in a dangerous cross.

Half-time saw Bohs re-introduce John-Paul Kelly to action after injury but he struggled to create much in a crowded midfield.

A mass altercation went unpunished by referee Damien Hancock.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Farren lost his footing at the vital moment after being played in by Killian Brennan only a couple of minutes into the second half.

Owen Heary got back to take the ball off Martyn as he threatened. Another break saw Farren attempt a cross that came back off Dean Pooley's arm although it was far from a clear-cut decision.

Owen Heary and Neale Fenn both attempted to force home after a seventieth minute ball into the Derry box created problems.

Deery had been booked just before with Dessie Byrne and Barry Molloy joining him before the end.

Liam Burns tries to clear under pressure from Kevin McHugh.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Thomas Heary had a shot saved by Jennings after Owen Heary's deflected shot fell invitingly for him.

There was a mass altercation after Molloy's booking for a foul on the edge of the box. Amazingly with arms and bodies flailing, the referee took no action after the incident and carried on as though nothing had happened.

Martyn just missed the target when he might have decided the game in the closing ten minutes. His low shot from inside the box just drifted wide of Murphy's goal.

Harkin fired off target after cutting inside on the Derry goal in the dying seconds.

Derry now switch their attentions to a very difficult Champions League qualifying encounter in Armenia while Bohs host Wolves in a money-spinning friendly on Sunday.

Bohemians : Murphy, O Heary, Powell (Kelly 46), Burns, Pooley, T Heary, Rice, Harkin, Byrne, Crowe, Mansaram (Fenn 63).
Derry City : Jennings, McCallion, Brennan, Kelly, Oman, Molloy, Martyn, Higgins (McGlynn 79), Deery, Farren (Morrow 73) , McHugh.