Bohemians 2 Galway United 0
It will take a little more than a cup victory against out of sorts mid-table opposition to inject anything like magic into Bohemians slightly troubled season but manager Keith Long will cling to the hope that a first win in eight and the team's first goals in seven will provide the basis to kick-start his side's league campaign and, perhaps, build some much needed momentum.
For a team so down on their luck of late, Bohemians played well for spells here and comfortably deserved their win against a Galway side that never really got out of third gear. The Dubliners looked more lively and inventive for the best part of the game and there was plenty of evidence in their set pieces of the effort that is going on behind the scenes to turn things around.
Ten minutes in, and almost 700 minutes after they had last scored a goal, they took the lead with Ismahil Akinade leaving an Ayman Ben Mohamed cross for Paddy Kavanagh who was allowed the time and space by a hesitant United defence to pick his spot from just inside the area.
The game probably should have been made safe before the break then with Kavanagh forcing a decent save from Conor Winn with a low driven free from 25 yards and Kevin Devaney clearing off the line where last year’s, more confident Akinade would not, one suspects, have given him the opportunity to get back.
The striker did enjoy some good fortune when referee Neil Doyle ignored pleas for a Galway penalty after he had needlessly met a long, looping free into the area with his arm but his team suffered a couple of setbacks with first and most seriously, it appeared, Kavanagh and then Jake Kelly limping out of the game.
Derek Pender followed not long into the second period but just as he departed Mark Quigley converted a penalty earned after a neat little free-kick routine ended with man-of-the-match Ben Mohamed being taken down by Gary Shanahan just as he was about to unleash a close range shot.
United had generated so little up until that point by way of serious scoring chances that it seemed almost inconceivable that they would get themselves back into things but the threat of another injury with so long remaining must have kept anxiety levels up over on the Bohemians bench.
Long’s men, indeed, seemed intent on adding to the excitement by drifting out of things almost completely at times but still the closest that Galway came to grabbing a goal was from a defensive mishap that forced a Dean Delany save after Marc Ludden’s long throw had put the home side’s defence under a bit of pressure.
Vinny Faherty, so central to Galway’s better league performances this year, was almost entirely anonymous here and even through the closing stages it was Bohemians who really should have added to their tally with Ben Mohamed prompting a decent stop from Winn who also got a leg to an effort by Roberto Lopes late on when really the midfielder should have rounded the goalkeeper and scored.
United ultimately went out pretty tamely and the question now is whether Bohemians can take something for this win, rediscover some hint of last year’s form and perhaps go on a bit of run. There were glimpses here that suggested that they just might have it in them.
Bohemians: Delany; Hayes, Mulcahy, Byrne, Pender (Best, 55 mins); Wearen, Lopes; Kavanagh (Buckley, 28 mins), Kelly (Quigley, 44 mins), Ben Mohamed; Akinade.
Galway United: Winn; Horgan, Aganovic, Cantwell (Devers, 86 mins), Ludden; Sullivan; Shanahan, Byrne, Foley (Melody, 57 mins), Devaney (Keating, half-time); Faherty.
Referee: N Doyle (Dublin).
