Bohemian Football Club Crest

The ex-Everton and Ireland youth forward Karl Sheppard inspired Galway United to victory at Dalymount Park with an outstanding solo performance.

The 19-year-old Sheppard bagged two goals before winning the late penalty when taken down by Ken Oman. Former Bohemians midfielder Stephen O’Donnell converted the 95th minute spot-kick to earn Seán Connor’s side an incredible victory.

The game turned nasty immediately after the winning goal with the sendings off of Raffaele Cretaro, Oman and O’Donnell by the referee, Damien Hancock. An already booked Oman was fortunate to have stayed on the pitch after conceding the penalty and another foul was deemed too much. Cretaro’s dismissal was for a reckless lunge, as O’Donnell saw red for having been involved in the after-match scuffle.

Rather the Gypsies endure this bad spell now than in the business end of the season, as Manchester United are discovering right now.

There was a minute’s applause prior to kick-off in remembrance of the 15-year-old Toyosi Shittabey, a youth team player at Shelbourne, who lost his life on Good Friday.

Unlike many other teams visiting this ground, Connor opted boldly to play with two strikers, Sheppard and Anto Flood in a 4-4-2 formation. His team were superb, consistently a threat, and in Sheppard have a player of great potential.

Bohemians began sluggishly and were duly punished in the 16th minute. Paul Keegan looked to find Glenn Cronin but the pass was behind his midfield partner and Derek O’Brien nipped in with the ball ricocheting to Sheppard. The Dubliner kept his cool to roll under the out-rushing Barry Murphy and into the net.

Their joy didn’t lost long then, as Keegan redeemed himself when surging past two players down the left flank. His accurate cross found an unmarked Cretaro, who had time to take a touch and slide coolly into the bottom right corner (22).

The remainder of the first half fell back into a game of cat-and-mouse with neither side taking the initiative.

There was a delay during the break when one of the linesmen, Martin Maloney, fell ill and a stoppage ensued in order to find a replacement. The Bohemians’ kitman, Colin O’Connor, temporarily replaced Richie Winter as fourth official as Winter stepped in as linesman. Everyone wishes Maloney a quick recovery.

Bohemians had initially started the second half in much better fashion when Conor Powell located Jason Byrne and he brilliantly turned his marker, Paul Sinnott, but flashed his 20-yard drive over.

However, the stadium was stunned into silence moments after when Oman gave away a free-kick in a dangerous position on the left. Bobby Ryan’s delivery looked heavy but Sheppard kept his eyes on it and out-jumped the static goalkeeper, Barry Murphy, to head down into the net (50).

Galway were pushing high up the pitch and chasing hard without the ball, perhaps they’ve learnt a thing or two from watching Barcelona recently. Still, relief flooded through the stadium 15 minutes from time. The substitute, Ruaidhrí Higgins, showed excellent vision when finding Conor Powell deep along the Galway right and his pin-point cross was hammered home from close in by a grateful Byrne.

Galway responded. Sheppard teed up the replacement, Tom King, who seemed certain to score three minutes from time as his shot flew past Murphy but not beyond Brian Shelley who booted from the line.

It was a frantic finish and one few saw coming. The substitute, Mark Quigley, played in Keegan who blazed over from eight yards before Higgins headed wide Cretaro’s cross at the back post. Those missed chances were to cost the Champions dear. Oman was faced with Sheppard and the centre-half stuck out a leg, taking him down, and conceded the penalty. O’Donnell stepped up and sent Murphy the wrong way to win the game for the Connaught side.

Bohemians: Murphy; Shelley, Heary (C), Oman, Powell; McGlynn, Cronin (Higgins, 58), Keegan, Cretaro; Byrne, Madden (Quigley, 73)

Galway United: Barry Ryan; Conneely, Sinnott, Meynell, Creaney; Bobby Ryan (King, 83), O’Donnell, Foley, O’Brien (McBrien, 89); Sheppard, Flood

Possession: Bohs: 53% Galway: 47%

Attempts on target: Bohs: 2 Galway: 3

Attempts off target: Bohs: 4 Galway: 3

Corners: Bohs: 3 Galway: 1

Bookings: Bohs: Ken Oman Galway: Séamus Conneely, Anto Flood

Sent Off: Bohs: Ken Oman, Raffaele Cretaro Galway: Stephen O’Donnell

Referee: Damien Hancock (Dublin)