Video
Details
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 July 2023 | 7:45 pm | LOI Men's Premier Division | 2023 |
Match Report
Bohs gather steam with victory over UCD
A second-half double from the in-form Johnathan Afolabi gave Bohemians all three points against UCD AFC this evening in Dalymount Park as they ran out 2-0 winners.
The Phibsborough side had plenty of chances throughout the game but had to wait until the 75th minute for a breakthrough with Afolabi hammering home a penalty after Danny Grant was fouled in the UCD area.
The striker followed up the opener with just two minutes left on the clock slotting home into the corner after chasing a long ball over the top from Jordan Flores to get his seventh goal in six games.
Bohs provided UCD with an early warning of how easily they can unlock the 5-man UCD defence early on. Some good work down the right flank saw Keith Buckley combine a one-two with McManus to clear his defender down the side of the UCD box but as the cross fell to Afolabi, he was well marshalled by Jack Keaney.
Keith Buckley continued to cause the UCD all sorts of trouble down the right flank as he was given the freedom to roam from fullback. Minutes after the early chance he had a cross which narrowly missed both Afolabi and Akintunde and cleared thanks to an excellent Gallagher header.
Bohs' best chance of the half came after just fifteen minutes. A corner caused chaos in the UCD box as Radkowski’s header across the goal required some heroic acrobatics from Danny Norris who cleared the ball off the line with an overhead kick. The ball dropped to Radkowski who fired just over from close range.
Declan Devine’s side continued to dominate the ball as the half progressed but the intensity of their attack dwindled as the minutes ticked away, much to the frustration of the home fans. In fact, it was the Students who finished the half strong and had a good chance just before the interval.
A well-worked piece of play from the College down the right side allowed Brendan Barr to pull the ball back to the waiting Sean Brennan. The midfielder's shot was deflected slightly but still required a clearance by Cian Byrne to clear the danger with Bohs getting a warning on the stroke of halftime.
Bohemians continued to dominate after the break. Buckley was again in the action with a defence-splitting pass from deep to find Connolly but the winger fluffed his lines and saw his heavy touch run out of play.
The introduction of Danny Grant for his return to the side lifted the home fans in the 55th minute and the Bohs side responded with an increase in intensity. However, the fans’ nerves grew as the clock ticked on without reward.
Finally, a breakthrough came in the 75th minute courtesy of a penalty earned by Danny Grant who was fouled by Adam Verdon as he attempted to make a clearance. Up stepped Afolabi who fired the ball into the top corner giving Lorcan Healy no chance in the UCD net.
Despite the introduction of Kinsella-Bishop and Doyle, UCD offered little and didn’t look like equalising. In fact, with just two minutes left on the clock, Bohemians doubled their lead and sealed all three points with the star man Afolabi firing again.
A long ball from Flores sent Afolabi on his way with Jack Keaney trailing in his wake. Lorcan Healy should have come to claim it but hesitated and stayed on his line only to see Afolabi slot the ball past him into the far corner.
Tonight’s result but Bohs just a point behind third-placed Derry City. They will continue to build on their recent form as they host Drogheda United at Dalymount next Friday. Meanwhile, it's a 3 pm kickoff on Sunday for UCD as they host Derry City.
Timeline
Past Meetings
 
(Round 12)
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
UCD Bowl UCD AFC 1-1 Bohemian FC |
|
(Round 6)
2 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Dalymount Park Bohemian FC 2-1 UCD AFC |
|
(Round 31)
1 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Dalymount Park Bohemian FC 1-0 UCD AFC |
|
(Round 23)
1 - 3LOI Men's Premier Division
UCD Bowl UCD AFC v Bohemian FC |
|
(Round 13)
3 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Dalymount Park Bohemian FC v UCD AFC |
|
(Round 7)
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
UCD Bowl UCD AFC v Bohemian FC |
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Dalymount Park Bohemian FC v UCD AFC |
3 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
UCD Bowl UCD AFC v Bohemian FC |
3 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Dalymount Park Bohemian FC v UCD AFC |
0 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
UCD Bowl UCD AFC v Bohemian FC |
7:45 pmLOI Men's Premier Division
UCD Bowl UCD AFC v Bohemian FC |
7:45 pmLOI Men's Premier Division
Dalymount Park Bohemian FC v UCD AFC |
3LOI Men's Premier Division
UCD Bowl UCD AFC v Bohemian FC |
Ground
| Dalymount Park |
|---|
| Dalymount Park, Connaught Street, Phibsborough, Cabra East A ED, Dublin, County Dublin, Leinster, D07 XH2D, Ireland |
Conor Paterson
Conor Paterson is a Dublin-based journalist and student. He is the former editor of the UCD newspaper, the College Tribune, where he is also undertaking an undergraduate degree. Passionate about football on and off the pitch, he is determined to promote UCD AFC and Irish football on the Belfield campus.
Referee blows the fulltime whistle here at Dalymount as Bohs win 2-0. Match report coming to you shortly!
Poor goalkeeping from Healy for the goal, he should have came for that one.
2-0!!! Afolabi with his second after chasing down a long ball over the top and slotting home into the far corner. Lovely finish!
Very little going for UCD at the moment and an equaliser looks a long way away.
James Clarke is replaced by Adam McDonnell late on.
Verdon is off for Higgins
Very strong appeals for another penalty as Afolabi goes down in the area. The UCD defense aren't happy with the striker and some words are exchanged.
Rocket from Coote forces a fine save out of Lorcan Healy. Good stop.
6 goals in 6 games for Afolabi and his penalty looked like a man full of confidence. That has settled the home support...
Afolabi steps up... and smashes it home!!! Emphatic penalty into the top corner gives Bohs the breakthrough!
Break in play here as Norris down with a head injury. Gives a chance for UCD to makes subs as Doyle replaces Raggett while Danu Kinsella-Bishop replaces Norris.
UCD are starting to drop deep and look tired. Massive appeals for a penalty as Keaney nudges Afolabi off the ball but not enough in it.
Kirk and McManus are replaced by Kukulowicz and Coote as Buckley moves into the middle
Some good UCD possession gives the defense a break and they earn a freekick deep in the Bohs half. Verdon delivers but it narrowly avoids everyone and goes for a goal kick.
Grant goes down after a tangle of legs with Barr but seemed more 50/50 off the ball and the referee waves away the protests.
Osam replaces Dempsey for UCD.
Another close effort! Clarke is in a great position and strikes it well but again Keaney is in the way to block.
Chance! Connolly again misses the target as he is on the end of a Grant pullback but he fires it over the bar.
Rocket of an effort from Flores is blocked but it falls to Grant, his low shot is saved by Healy. Grant's introduction has Dalymount rocking, can their side respond?
Huge roars as Danny Grant is introduced for James Akintunde.
Chance! Keith Buckley delivers a lovely cross along the ground from deep. Connolly just needs to flick it goalward but he tries to take a touch which is heavy and runs wide. What a pass that was from Bucko!
A solid Dylan Connolly cross finds Afolabi but he can't get it on target and UCD once again clear their lines.
Some play through the middle gets some joy as Clarke finds Afolabi, who turns and shoots but its deflected for a corner which comes to nothing.
The home side get us back underway, no changes for either side.
Referee brings the first half to an end. 0-0 in Dalymount so far.
2 additional minutes added on here at Dalymount.
Close for UCD as Cian Byrne clears a deflected Sean Brennan shot who was tied up by Barr. Great chance for UCD and a warning for Bohs.
An offside call against Afolabi after a through ball from Cian Byrne doesn't help calm an increasingly anxious home support here at Dalymount.
Better from Bohs as Connolly is set clear. He cleverly finds Afolabi who seems to try and set up Akintunde but they fluff their lines and the chance comes to nothing.
UCD have tamed the home side and their crowd a little as the home sides intensity has dropped a little as the half progresses. Andy Myler will be pleased to see the game scoreless as they look to build into the game.
Passionate penalty appeals from the stands here as Dempsey was getting very close to Connolly as he worked his way into the box but referee was unmoved.
A clever through ball from Sean Brennan sets Norris away down the side of the box. He tries to set up Raggett but Buckley is alive to the danger and clears the ball for a corner.
A long ball over the top from Flores finds Afolabi who turns but his shot narrowly flashes wide of the post. Very close for the Bohs man.
A mistake sees Jesse Dempsey go in the book for a cynical foul trying to recover but he fouls blatantly to stop the Bohs attack.
A scramble in the UCD box sees the ball flash across goal after a header from Radkowski, perhaps heading in but some overhead acrobatics from Norris clears the ball which lands again to the defender who fires over the bar from close range. Big Chance!
First sign of life from UCD as the ball is pulled out to Adam Verdon just outside the area. He perhaps takes one touch too many and his shot is deflected over the bar.
Keith Buckley is causing UCD a lot of trouble as he presses high down the right wing. This time his cross narrowly misses Afolabi and Akintunde before being headed clear by Gallagher.
As expected, plenty of possession for Bohs as they try and unlock the 5-man UCD defense. UCD dealt with the early pressure as the home side continue to probe with purpose.
Beautiful football from Bohs as Buckley combines a one-two with McManus, his cross finds Afolabi but his effort is blocked by Keaney.
Early pressure from the hosts gives Akintunde a chance to cross towards Afolabi but Keaney gets a head to it and earns a free for a high boot from the Bohs striker.
Sean Brennan gets us underway for the visitors!
While Rovers, Dundalk and Derry busy themselves with European action this week, Bohs can concentrate on their domestic challenge, namely qualifying for Europe next year. Their league form hasn\'t been great recently but they are unbeaten in their last four games in all competitions and will be confident about extending that record against a struggling UCD side.
Two changes for the Students as Ryan Bowden and Ciaran Behan are withdrawn in place of Michael Gallagher and UCD's 2022 player of the season, Dara Keane, who returns from injury.
Just one change for the home side from their 1-0 cup victory over Shelbourne here last Friday. Cian Byrne replaces the injured Krystian Nowak who misses out through a quad injury. Danny Grant could make his first appearance since his return to Phibsborough as he is named on the bench.
Good evening and welcome to FinalWhistle.ie coverage of tonight's SSE Airtricity League Premier Division round 25 clash between Bohemian FC and UCD AFC. I'm Conor Paterson coming to you from Dalymount Park with live updates throughout and a full match report after the final whistle. I'll have team news over to you very shortly.