AKINTUNDE THE LATE HERO AS BOHS LABOUR TO BACK-TO-BACK WINS AGAINST DUNDALK

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JAMES AKINTUNDE PROVED Bohemians’ match winner off the bench with a late headed strike as they laboured to victory over Dundalk at a windswept Dalymount Park.

It brought a welcome first home win for Alan Reynolds following his appointment late last month. And with it, after Friday’s victory over league leaders Shelbourne, Bohemians’ first back-to-back wins of the season to move them up to third place in the table

While the Phibsborough side are on the up, mangerless Dundalk’s season shows little sign of improvement as they remain four points adrift at the foot of the table without a win having scored just three times in their 10 games to date.

Without their suspended skipper Jordan Flores — scorer of both their goals in the big win at Tolka Park three days ago — Bohemians were on the back foot for large parts of the first half playing into the strong breeze.

That said, despite the wind at their backs, Dundalk struggled to trouble the Bohs defence in the opening exchanges with the Gypsies the first to get a real sight of goal on 16 minutes.

The hard running James Clarke burst forward from midfield to tread his pass in for the run of Martin Miller. A combination of alert left-back Zak Bradshaw and goalkeeper George Shelvey did enough to thwart the Bohs winger.

It was the 25th minute before Dundalk gave the home goal anything to worry about from their third corner of the night.

Daryl Horgan’s delivery wasn’t cleared. The loose ball dropped for Robbie Benson in space but his effort deflected over for another corner off Paddy Kirk as Dundalk appeals for a penalty weren’t entertained by referee Eoghan O’Shea.

Benson and Horgan would subsequently shoot well off target as Dundalk shaded possession. But despite going on to win seven corners in total in the first half, they failed to bother Kacper Chorazka between the Bohs posts.

The action scarcely livened up into the early stages of the second half, the first note an unfortunate one as Dundalk lost Robbie Mahon to injury on the hour. The winger was carried off on a stretcher.

Finally sparking to life on 65 minutes, the game delivered its first shot on target. Shelvey did really well to push away a dipping drive from Bohs substitute Declan McDaid.

And Shelvey was there again seconds later to deny McDaid once more at the back post from Michael Lilander’s right flank cross.

The English ‘keeper was helpless, however, as Bohemians got their winner on 81 minutes.

Fellow substitute Dayle Rooney arced a free kick in from the right touchline with Akintunde out-muscling Archie Davies to meet it with a brave diving header for his third goal of the season.

Bohemians: Chorazka; Lilander, Byrne, Keita, Kirk; J. McManus, McDonnell (B. McManus, 90); Connolly (McDaid, 64), Clarke (Akintunde, 64), Miller (Rooney, h-t); Pisczek (Reinkort 81).

Dundalk: Shelvey; Davies, Animasahun (Annesley h-t), Boyle, Bradshaw; High, Doyle (Keane, 73); Horgan, Benson (Kenny, 90), Mahon (O’Kane, 60); Gullan.

Referee: Eoghan O’Shea (Tipperary).

Attendance: 4,045.

2024-04-15T21:14:04Z dg43tfdfdgfd