- Paul Corcoran
- Sat, Oct 07 2023
Paul Corcoran reports from Eamonn Deacy Park
Bohemians are back in the FAI Cup Final for the second time in two years after the Dublin side beat Galway United 0-1 at Eamonn Deacy Park on Saturday afternoon.
Just a single goal decided the encounter with Dylan Connolly finding the net just before half-time in a feisty affair which saw numerous bookings for both sides.
The Gypsies will have their eyes on tomorrow’s other semi-final to find out if they will face Cork City or St Patrick’s Athletic in November.
John Caulfield made four changes from his side’s 6-0 win over Athlone Town in their last time out. Conor McCormack, Ed McCarthy and Wassim Aouachria came into the side in place of Conor O’Keeffe, Darren Clarke and Rob Manley. Maurice Nugent also started the game in place of Rob Slevin.
For Bohs – they named just one change from the side that beat Sligo Rovers last Friday week. James McManus dropped to the bench with Jordan Flores coming into the side.
Galway parked themselves in the opposition box for several minutes with three corners in quick succession in the fifth minute, Stephen Walsh and Maurice Nugent nearly had clear shots, but Bohs dealt with the threat expertly.
The visitors nearly made the breakthrough in the twelfth minute when Keith Buckley slipped the ball through to Jonathan Afolabi in a crowded box – the striker flicked a shot and beat the goalkeeper, but Maurice Nugent and David Hurley combined to rake the ball off the line.
United nearly had the fans off their seats in the 23rd minute when Hurley and Conor McCormack played a clever short corner routine. Hurley lofted a lovely shot in from the edge of the box, but it just sailed millimetres over the bar.
Walsh picked up the ball in the 27th minute and the Bohs defence gave the striker plenty of space to allow him line up a shot from distance – he fired wide but the ball sailed just wide of the post.
Bohemians fired a warning of their own in the 44th minute when Dylan Connolly ran down a ball that looked destined to roll out over the endline - he founds James Clarke in the box and the midfielder clipped the post only to have the ball go wide.
The visitors got their reward just a minute later when Jonathan Afolabi muscled Nugent off the ball in the final third, he took the ball into the box and drilled it across goal for Connolly to smash into the back of the net.
Afolabi was sent through with a long ball from deep in the Bohs half in the 50th minute, the striker beat Nugent and really should have scored but Brendan Clarke came off his line quickly and pulled off a great save to deny the visitors a second goal.
Galway United were given some hope just before the hour mark when Kacper Radkowski was given a second yellow card by referee Neil Doyle meaning Bohemians had a half an hour to defend their slender lead with ten men.
James Clarke and Afolabi linked up in the 67th minute with some hesitant defending by the home side allowing the midfielder another crack on goal but it sailed over the bar.
Bohemians were on the attack again in the 73rd minute, Connolly hungry for another goal took the ball beyond Regan Donelon before rattling a shot at goal with Clarke getting down quickly to deny the midfielder.
Substitute Daniel Grant was involved shortly after replacing Connolly – Krystian Nowak nodded a corner kick from the midfielder inches over the bar in the 76th minute.
James Talbot was called into action with the goalkeeper desperately slapping at the ball in the 87th minute when substitute Francely Lomboto snuck a ball through on the endline to Hurley – the midfielder tried to dink the ball across goal but the Bohemians shot stopper intervened to hold the narrow lead.
The home side had a huge penalty shout in injury time – Galway were on the front foot and were only denied when the ball came to Walsh. It looked like Keith Buckley might have dragged the striker to the ground, but the referee didn’t agree with any protests.
They had one last roll of the dice in the seventh minute of injury time when United won a free on the edge of the area. Hurley’s shot came back off the wall with Conor McCormack following up with the rebound but his effort sailed wide of the goal.
Galway United: Brendan Clarke; Killian Brouder, Regan Donelon (Conor O'Keeffe 75), Conor McCormack, Maurice Nugent (Robert Slevin 55); Vincent Borden (Francely Lomboto 75), Aodh Dervin, David Hurley, Edward McCarthy (Darren Clarke 86); Wassim Aouachria (Robert Manley 75), Stephen Walsh.
Subs not used: Alexander Rutter, Oisín O'Reilly, Colm Horgan, Ronan Manning.
Booked: Aodh Dervin (31), Edward McCarthy (43), Regan Donelon (58), Stephen Walsh (74), David Hurley (90), Conor McCormack (90).
Bohemians: James Talbot; Patrick Kirk, Bartłomiej Kukułowicz (Adam McDonnell 86), Krystian Nowak, Kacper Radkowski; Keith Buckley, James Clarke (John O'Sullivan 86), Dylan Connolly (Daniel Grant 75), Alistair Coote (Cian Byrne 61), Jordan Flores (Declan McDaid 86); Jonathan Afolabi.
Subs not used: Luke Dennison, James McManus, Kristopher Twardek, Oluwaseun Akintunde.
Booked: Kacper Radkowski (14), James Clarke (19), Alistair Coote (22), Bartłomiej Kukułowicz (36), Keith Buckley (51), Kacper Radkowski (59), James Talbot (65), Adam McDonnell (90).
Sent off: Kacper Radkowski (59).
Referee: Neil Doyle.
Attendance: 4,300
extratime.com Player of the Match: Dylan Connolly (Bohemians)
