Bohemian Football Club Crest

Bohemians had to settle for a point after paying the price for not strengthening their lead after Paddy Madden’s first half strike.

The former Dalymount Park favourite, Glen Crowe, made a first starting return to the stadium and was clearly motivated for it. The 32-year-old showed a superb appetite when, on one occasion, he chased back 30 yards to win possession with a firm sliding tackle on Paddy Madden. It seemed he was as eager to deny Bohemians victory as he had been to Shamrock Rovers, when he belted in a late equaliser in Tallaght.

Mark Quigley showed further signs of an increase in confidence with an early long-range effort which narrowly failed to dip in time.

After concerted pressure, the hosts breached a shaky defence. Owen Heary’s long ball caught Fingal sleeping and Madden nipped in and lifted his shot over Clarke for a sucker-punch goal (25). Manager Liam Buckley was left tearing his hair out and it’s quite a mop he has. It was Madden’s seventh goal in four games.

But suddenly the visitors had more control of the ball and continued to into the second half. They were more adventurous than Dundalk last week but were struggling to create chances. With Crowe full of confidence, and his left foot working well, there was always a threat.

Skipper Shaun Williams had a glorious opportunity to equalise early in the second period, but the unmarked midfielder glanced wide Conan Byrne’s corner kick. Ken Oman produced a goal-saving intervention when he retreated and cleared Byrne’s effort off the line, after Alan Kirby’s raid along the left wing.

But Madden went desperately close to winning the game on 74 minutes. Substitute Raffaele Cretaro was again influencing proceedings from the bench as he raced to the ball before McFaul, and played in Madden, who unfortunately hit the base of the post. That proved a turning point.

Seconds later O’Brien received the ball from Byrne in between the Bohemians’ centre-halves, Heary and Oman, where the gap was very wide. O’Brien kept his composure and struck a fine low finish past Murphy (75).

Despite the late pressure, including an air-shot from substitute Killian Brennan and Madden’s failure to bundle over the line, Fingal held out.

Bohemians: Murphy; Shelley, Heary (C), Oman, Powell; Rossiter (Cretaro, 65), McGlynn (Brennan, 85), Higgins (Cronin, 81), Keegan, Quigley; Madden

Sporting Fingal: Clarke; O’Brien (Gannon, 85) James, Browne, Fitzgerald; McFaul, Finn, Williams (C), Kirby, Byrne; Crowe (Zayed, 78).

Possession: Bohs: 53% Fingal: 47%

Attempts on target: Bohs: 4 Fingal: 2

Attempts off target: Bohs: 2 Fingal: 2

Corners: Bohs: 4 Fingal: 3

Bookings: Bohs: Raffaele Cretaro Fingal: Lorcan Fitzgerald, Colm James

Sent off: Bohs: None Fingal: None

Referee: Derek Tomney (Dublin)