League Report: Bohemians 2 - 0 Longford Town

Former Longford Town player Ayman Ben Mohamed terrorised his former club on Friday night to earn Bohemians their first league win in three weeks with a 2-0 victory over Tony Cousins’ side at Dalymount Park.

A goal and an assist on the night put Longford to the sword as Ben Mohamed reigned supreme in a standout individual performance for the winger, laying off the first for Keith Buckley following a cagey opening half an hour that featured numerous missed opportunities for both sides, before slotting home his own just before the break.

Keith Long’s side had already beaten the visitors to the capital earlier last month in the EA Sports Cup 3-1, however this Premier Division encounter opened in a more even manner. First half substitute Kaleem Simon provided the game’s first major chance, hitting a fine effort across goal that went wide, only inches away from the bottom corner of the goal.

Bohemians’ captain Derek Pender too offered an earlyeffort from distance, with the defender whizzing a rousing shot from 35 yards just wide of Paul Skinner’s post following a loose clearance to the edge of the penalty area.

The game burst into life ten minutes before the break when both sides’ home supporters took a moment to hold faces in hands at the utter frustration that came from a set of chances at either end of Dalymount Park.

First came a guilt-edged chance afforded Longford when Dean Delany strayed from his goal to clear. The clearance was scuppered with a breakdown in communication between Alex O’Hanlon and David O’Sullivan five yards out from an open goal, that culminated in neither player converting a guilt edged chance.

From the resulting punt clear Ismahil Akinade played a cutting through ball to meet the run of Keith Buckley, who had caught his marker off-guard. Skinner met the ball first though, only for it to spill to Ben Mohamed with the goal at his mercy. The player, however, could do nothing but smash the post from five yards.

The Jodi stand would rock in a chorus of celebration not once but twice before the half was out however. Ben Mohamed would make up for his earlier miss by latching onto Roberto Lopes’ volleyed pass to play in Keith Buckley, who was making yet another late run into the box.

The midfielder took the ball in his stride before passing it calmly beyond Skinner with his left foot for 1-0 after 42 minutes.

It was 2-0 before the half was out with Ben Mohamed taking the spotlight this time as he brilliantly nudged in Derek Pender’s looping cross to the back post beyond Skinner to ensure a comfortable, cushioned lead heading the break.

Longford attempted to get back into the game after the interval, with Kaleem Simon and Alex O’Hanlon linking up well to manoeuvre the ball quickly up the pitch only for Paddy Kavanagh’s well-timed sliding challenge inside the box blocking the impending effort on Dean Delany’s goal from Simon.

The away side knocked at the door again as the game reached the hour mark following a near third for the Gypsies when goalkeeper Skinner dropped Paddy Kavanagh’s deflected shot from close range, before Peter McGlynn broke at the other end to find space, open his body and curl a shot that pinged off the far post and away.

Bohs pressed on and maintained their lead in the closing stages. Another long-range effort saw Keith Buckley top off a featured performance, however his rifling effort rose at the last and flew over Skinner’s crossbar 30 yards from goal.

Longford Town possessed little fightback with Don Cowan’s effort cannoning off the back of Lorcan Fitzgerald, offering their closest opportunity of a consolidation, as Bohemians registered a second win from their opening six Premier Division games.

Bohemians: Dean Delany; Derek Pender (Dylan Hayes 78), Derek Prendergast, Daniel Byrne, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Keith Buckley, Eoin Wearen (Dave Mulcahy 84), Roberto Lopes, Paddy Kavanagh, Ayman Ben Mohamed; Ismahil Akinade (Kurtis Byrne 64)

Subs not used: Lee Steacy; Anto Murphy, Jake Kelly

Bookings: None.

Longford Town: Paul Skinner; Mark Hughes, James Mulhall, Pat Flynn, Noel Haverty; Kealon Dillon (Kaleem Simon 14), Kevin O’Connor, Philip Gannon, Peter McGlynn (Don Cowan 74); David O’Sullivan, Josh O’Hanlon

Subs not used: Ian Molloy; Daniel O’Reilly, Josh McKeown, Keith Beirne, Karl Chambers

Bookings: Noel Haverty (18), Pat Flynn (76)

Referee: Robert Rodgers.

Attendance: 1,340.

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Ayman Ben Mohamed (Bohemians).

You can see Eddie Lennon's and Martin Doherty's pictures from the game here.