The 42

St Joseph’s 0

Bohemians 0

(Bohemians win 2-0 on aggregate)

UNTROUBLED BY THE sweltering heat on an artificial surface, Bohemians, back in Europe after a five-year hiatus, advanced through to the second round of the Conference League at the Europa Point Stadium in Gibraltar. 

Roared on by a raucous band of some 500 travelling fans, Alan Reynolds’ side never looked in serious trouble of having their 2-0 first leg lead overturned as St Joseph’s, who have now bowed out to League of Ireland opposition in each of the last three summers, finished with 10 men. 

Getting through brings Bohemians a guaranteed minimum €700,000 in UEFA prize money ahead of facing FC Ballkani of Kosovo or Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales in the second round next week with Dalymount Park staging the first leg. 

With Niall Morahan coming in at right-back and wingers Connor Parsons and Dayle Rooney starting in an attacking formation featuring three changes from Phibsborough seven days ago, Bohemians started confidently in the 28-degree heat. 

Having to chase the game, St Joseph’s did enjoy good early spells of the ball, though without troubling Paul Walters between the Gypsies posts. 

It was Bohs who were more dangerous in possession with skipper Dawson Devoy having a goal-bound shot blocked by Javi Paul on 13 minutes.

But the visitors had to survive a right scare on 25 minutes in St Joseph’s first real foray forward. 

Raiding left-back Geovanni Barba got to the end line to fire over a low cross. It found the unmarked Francis Ferron who blazed wastefully over the top when he should have hit the target. 

St Joseph’s then had appeals for a penalty rightly dismissed when a shot from Alvaro Cascajo clearly struck Morahan on the side of his head, nowhere near an arm. 

It was home goalkeeper Bradley Banda who would make the only save of the first half on 33 minutes, acrobatically tipping over a long range drive from Jordan Flores. 

Minutes later Ross Tierney arrived at the near post to flash a stooping header wide from Douglas James-Taylor’s left flank delivery. 

Though St Joseph’s injected a little more impetus to their game on the resumption with Cascajo shooting over, Bohs should have punished their hosts on the counter six minutes in. 

Parsons surged forward down the right, cut inside, and teed up a shot which curled wide of the far post. 

The game boiled over just past the hour mark when a foul by Devoy on Pirulo brought a retaliatory reaction from the St Joseph’s midfielder, leading to a right skirmish involving most players and benches. 

When it calmed down yellow cards were shown to Bohs’ defender Sam Todd and St Joseph’s Marco Rosa before a straight red card was flashed at Ferron who had rapped a hand around Devoy’s mouth during the melee. 

Another scuffle following a St Joseph’s corner 10 minutes from time resulted in bookings for Tierney and Flores after Walters had been fouled by Javi Paul. 

And though St Joseph’s pressed in the latter stages, they never seriously threatened Walters’ goal. 

Bohemians might then have won it on the night but for both substitutes Harry Vaughan and Collie Whelan shooting against the same post in quick succession in the fifth minute of added time. 

St Joseph’s: Banda; Fobi, Lauture, Javi Paul, Barba; Pirulo (Rey, 68), Diedhiou (Forjan, 68), Juanma (De Haro, 75); Marco Rosa (Moreno, 75), Cascajo (Coombes, 60), Ferron.

Bohemians: Walters; Morahan, Todd, Hickey, Mullen (Byrne, 60); Devoy, Flores (Diallo, 84; Rooney, Tierney (Vaughan, 84), Parsons (Strods, 60); James-Taylor (Whelan, 60). 

Referee: Kristaps Ratnieks (Latvia).

Written by Paul Buttner and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.