Dowling earns Town a draw with impressive Bohs side

The Tullamore first team played their last home game of the season last Wednesday and came away with a somewhat fortuitous share of the points against an excellent young Bohemians side. The visitors were straight into the attack with Stephen Traynor picking out Lee Dixon on the right but Stephen Duffy got across to clear while at the other end Michael Hoey got on the end of a Keith Armstrong pass but his shot flew outside the post. As Bohemians began to take control Dixon’s cross was headed over by Traynor and they again went close when Keith Buckley got on the end of a Dixon free but his volley was well held by Ger Dunne. With half an hour on the clock, they hit the front when Anthony Corcoran and Stephen Traynor combined on the left with Keith Armstrong getting back to put the ball out for a corner, but from the resultant kick David Lodola rose above the defence to power his header into the bottom left hand corner for a deserved lead. They nearly increased their lead minutes later when Dixon’s low cross picked out Lodola but he was denied by a great last ditch tackle from Ken Doyle. With half time approaching Shane Dowling sent Jason Pohl clear on the right, but Craig Sexton was quickly off his line to clear while at the other end Dixon threatened on the right with Doyle again getting across to clear. Tullamore started the second half brightly with Jason Pohl taking off on a fine diagonal run that saw his cross shot knocked behind and, when the resultant corner was cleared, Robbie Egan delivered the ball back into the area only for Michael Hoey’s header to come back off the upright. Hoey again created danger when he was taken down following a surging run but Trevor Moylan’s free kick was too high. With Brian Francis outstanding at the heart of the home defence, they held firm but Bohemian’s went close when Lee Dixon fired his shot across the face of the goal and he again threatened when Christopher Forrester just failed to get on the end of his cross. They should have increased their lead on 75 minutes when Anthony Corcoran picked out Stephen Traynor on the left and his fine cross was volleyed over by David Lodola. Tullamore went close minutes later when Shane Dowling lobbed the advancing Craig Sexton but Kevin Feely got back to clear and when Pohl pounced on the loose ball Sexton managed to knock his shot out for a corner. As the visitors looked to kill the game off Stephen Chambers played a lovely ball through to Traynor but his effort flew past the far post. With minutes remaining Tullamore made the breakthrough when, after Robbie Egan launched the ball into the area from a free kick, Shane Dowling sent a great glancing header into the roof of the net. As Bohemians hit back, Forrester cut in from the left but Ger Dunne brilliantly tipped his effort around the post and he again went close when Dixon and Mark O’Reilly combined to pick him out but his header flew over. Town nearly snatched all three points in the last minute when Michael Hoey played in Dowling on the left and his looping shot drifted inches outside the far post. Although playing second fiddle for most of the 90 minutes, Tullamore will look to a battling second-half performance that kept them in the match. Having had their pockets picked so late in the game, the Bohemian players may well feel they were the victims of floodlight robbery, but as all Tullamore supporters know, the fat lady rarely sings in Leah Victoria Park. For the home side there were excellent contributions from Ger Dunne, Ken Doyle, Robbie Egan and Shane Dowling, with Roberto Lopes, Stephen Traynor, Lee Dixon and David Lodola the pick of the visitors, but the man of the match award went to Tullamore’s outstanding central defender, Brian Francis. TULLAMORE: Ger Dunne, Trevor Moylan, Brian Francis, Ken Doyle, Michael Kenaney, Stephen Duffy, Robbie Egan, Keith Armstrong, Jason Pohl, Michael Hoey and Shane Dowling. Subs: Fergal Gorman, Martin Halloran, Pat McCarthy and Mark Goodings.