Soccer

League of Ireland round-up: Jonathan Afolabi double keeps Bohemians on the front foot

Shelbourne take the points away to Cork City; Drogheda United fight back for point against Sligo Rovers

Jonathan Afolabi scores a penalty for Bohemians in their SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against UCD at Dalymount Park. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Jonathan Afolabi scores a penalty for Bohemians in their SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against UCD at Dalymount Park. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Fri Jul 28 2023 - 21:57
Bohemians 2 UCD 0

Jonathan Afolabi scored twice to make it seven goals in six games as Bohemians finally wore down UCD at Dalymount Park.

Danny Grant, on as a substitute for his first involvement following his return from Huddersfield Town, won the second-half penalty that Afolabi confidently dispatched before the bustling striker added a late second.

But Declan Devine’s side had to work hard for the three points here against a dogged College who remain 14 points adrift at the foot of the table.

Just a third win in 12 games since losing the leadership of the table back in May, Bohemians move to within a point of Devine’s former club Derry City, who sit third.

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Fresh from knocking north Dublin rivals Shelbourne out of the FAI Cup last week, Bohemians started confidently, worrying the UCD defence inside three minutes when James Akintunde’s goal-bound shot was blocked by the well-positioned UCD captain Jack Keaney.

Weathering the early home onslaught, it was 12 minutes before UCD threatened, Adam Verdon, set up by Dara Keane, having his shot deflected out for the game’s first corner.

But Bohemians should really have been ahead four minutes later when UCD failed to clear a Jordan Flores corner. The ball was recycled by Flores who set up defender Kacper Radkowski, who wastefully skied over the bar.

[ Premier Division table ]

While the openings kept coming for the home side the finish was lacking. Flores’s left foot put the ball over the top for the run of Afolabi. And though the control was good as the in-form striker got turned, the shot was drilled just wide.

While Bohemians edged possession, UCD continued to be a threat on the counter, stretching the home side on 25 minutes.

Seán Brennan’s ball down the right found the run of Danny Norris whose cross shot was frantically blocked by retreating Bohemians’ skipper Keith Buckley.

UCD subsequently enjoyed their first real spell of possession as Bohemians’ frustration mounted.

And it was the visitors who had perhaps the chance of the first half three minutes before the interval.

Bohemians gave the ball away cheaply, allowing Brennan to scamper forward, interchange passes with Brendan Barr, before his deflected shot was hacked clear by Cian Byrne.

In a repeat of the first, Bohemians started the second half positively. Afolabi, twice, James Clarke and Connolly all getting sight of goal but scarcely troubling Lorcan Healy.

But the introduction of Grant brought an immediate lift both on and off the field.

First working Healy with a low drive, the winger beat his man on the left to cross for Connolly who should have done far better than shoot over.

Grant was then pivotal for the lead goal when being fouled inside the area by Verdon to win a 75th-minute penalty. Afolabi sent Healy the wrong way to blast his strike to the far top corner.

Healy made the save of the game to deprive Ally Coote before, a minute from time, Afolabi raced on to a Flores ball down the left, outpaced Keaney to shoot past the hesitant Healy.

BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Buckley, Byrne, Radkowski, Kirk (Kukulowicz, 68); Connolly, Flores, McManus (Coote, 68), Akintunde (Grant, 56); Clarke (McDonnell, 88); Afolabi.

UCD: Healy; Gallagher, Keaney, Wells, Dempsey (Osam, 60); Barr, Verdon (Higgins, 84), Keane, Brennan; Raggett (Doyle, 73), Norris (Kinsella-Bishop 73).

Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan (Cork).

Attendance: 4,142.

Cork City 0 Shelbourne 2

Shelbourne are four games unbeaten in the Premier Division after goals from Harry Wood and Seán Boyd gave them a comfortable 2-0 victory over Cork City at Turner’s Cross.

If Damien Duff wanted a response to the FAI Cup defeat to Bohemians, this was it was the Reds ground down the home side in front of 3,672 spectators.

It started with a long ball over the top from John Ross Wilson that Wood collected before finishing neatly at the Shed End in the 20th minute.

The Rebel Army tried to get back in the game by bringing on new recruit Jaze Kabia at half-time. The forward had minimal impact as Shelbourne continued to hold City at arm’s length.

There was a late rally, and that led to a shot from outside the area and Kevin Čustović's volley went just over the intended target.

Conor Kearns was only called into action once, and he caught this attempt with ease.

Boyd’s goal was a stunning finish and it came from Jonathan Lunney setting him up on the edge of the box on the left side of the pitch. He steadied himself and fired into the opposite corner of the goal.

CORK CITY: O Byrne; C Coleman, A Gilchrist, T Owolabi, B Coffey (J Kabia, 45), C Bargary (J Fitzpatrick, 81), R Stanulevičius, C Drinan (J O’Donovan, 81), J Honohan, K Čustović (O Crowe, 85), J O’Brien Whitmarsh (A Bolger, 12).

SHELBOURNE: C Kearns; J Wilson, A Quinn, J Lunney, M Coyle, J Moylan (M Jarvis, 74), T Wilson (S Farrell, 84), H Wood (S Boyd, 68), G Molloy, E Caffrey (J Hakiki, 85), K Lewidge.

Referee: David Dunne

Drogheda United 2 Sligo Rovers 2

It looked as if Sligo Rovers would land a significant blow on one of their relegation-threatened rivals but Drogheda United refused to be beaten at Weavers Park.

On an evening where five of the six teams in action occupied the bottom half of the Premier Division, it was a rare night when matters towards the foot of the table took centre stage.

Stefan Radosavljevic’s fourth goal of the season handed Sligo a deserved lead, a week on from an insipid performance at the same venue had added ever more pressure on an increasingly beleaguered John Russell.

The Faroese scored after David Cawley’s shot cannoned off the upright and fell kindly for him. Kailin Barlow had earlier been denied as Sligo showed more in the opening half-hour than they did in 90 minutes of last week’s cup tie.

A Conor Keeley own goal in the second half appeared to see Sligo set fair for a victory. However, Drogheda forced the issue and Adam Foley headed in his sixth goal in seven games to halve the deficit. Hesitant defending proved Sligo’s undoing on that occasion.

Foley turned provider for the equaliser when his cross found Warren Davis. The teenager’s header was dropping wide only for Dayle Rooney to intervene at the back post.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Wogan; Heeney, Adegboyega, Keeley, Weir; Deegan, Noone (McNally, 63); Foley, Markey, Rooney; Robinson (Davis, 63).

SLIGO ROVERS: McNicholas; Brannefalk, Mahon (Buckley, 46), Pijnaker, Morahan; Bolger, Cawley (Finnerty, 90+6), Browning; Barlow (Liivak, 46), Radosavljevic (Martelo, 74); Mata.

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.