With European football on the line tonight’s Dublin Derby promised to be a rip roaring encounter, and in the midst of the smoke filled ground and flares, a fierce battle took place. Danny Grant, a recent call up to the Irish under-21 set up, looked
With European football on the line tonight’s Dublin Derby promised to be a rip roaring encounter, and in the midst of the smoke filled ground and flares, a fierce battle took place.
Danny Grant, a recent call up to the Irish under-21 set up, looked Bohs ost dangerous attacking threat as his side were happy to sit in and allow Pat’s possession.
The Athletic looked sharp in possession, moving Bohs around the slick surface but lacked a cutting edge in the final third. Chris Forrester forced James Talbot into a good save from a free kick and Ronan Hale had a difficult volley inside the area but nothing clear cut, that was until a few minutes before the break.
The aforementioned Forrester, burst inside from the right hand side and let fly with a rocket heading towards the top corner, only to be denied by an outstanding save from his nemesis, Talbot.
Stephen O’Donnells men came flying out of the traps after the break, pinning The Gypsie’s back, forcing corner after corner and not allowing Bohs to breath. With six yellow cards, three a piece in the first half alone, it was almost inevitable that one would see a second, and that faith fell to James Finnerty, needlessly slidong in on Gary Shaw on the left wing.
Now with the man advantage, O’Donnell really went for it introducing two attacking players, firstly in Glen McAuley, followed by Mikey Drennan but it was an all too familiar pattern, unable to break down a resolute Gypsie backline.
Prior to the game even the most die hard of Saints supporters would have admitted that a spot in the top four was nothing more of a dream having seen the hope of a European finish slowly fade away in recent weeks, but Keith Long and his charge’s, having put themselves on the cusp of the Holy Grail, by defeating last seasons top two in the last couple of weeks, finished the job with tonight’s brave performance and find themselves back in Europe after a long, six year absence.
