Bohemians’ rivals must be wondering if the wheels will fall off their early pace setting exploits.
The concession of an 88th minute equaliser to bottom side UCD doesn’t necessarily sound the death knell on that charge to the top.
But the Gypsies were always dicing with difficulty here having made hard work of their night’s work.
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Jonathan Afolabi thought he had answered Bohs’ second-half SOS call with the opening goal off the bench, eight minutes into the second-half. It was a timely lift as the visitors had been so poor in the opening half, under the cosh from a UCD side determined to cause bother.
But Jake Doyle - on his 18th birthday - scored a precious College equaliser in the dying moments to reduce Bohs lead at the top to three points. And Bohs can only have themselves to blame as their bright start suggested they might have been in for a comfortable start.
UCD goalkeeper Kian Moore made two quick-fire saves inside four minutes to deny Dylan Connolly and Grant Horton at close range. It looked like it was a matter of when, not if, the Gypsies scored.
But that was the height of it during a dire first-half as Bohs retreated into their shell and played poorly for the remainder. That was largely due to the impressive manner in which their hosts got stuck into them after those early warnings.
And had the league’s bottom side a touch more belief in the final third, they may well have led at the break. The Bowl was sold-out but the large Bohs contingent were growing increasingly frustrated at what their team was dishing up. They bemoaned the amount of balls played backwards or sideways, and craved more penetration in the final third.
UCD - who lost Mark Dignam to a nasty foot injury - had no such problem and looked to attack at every opportunity. They just couldn’t capitalise. Not when Daniel Norris robbed Krystian Nowak just outside the area, while lone striker Danu Kinsella Bishop paid the price at half-time.
Referee Kevin O’Sullivan waved away soft penalty appeals when Dean Williams went down rather too theatrically under a Jack Keaney challenge. Declan Devine demanded a second-half response and brought on skipper Keith Buckley and Afolabi - who made an immediate impact.
He was well positioned eight yards out to sweep home Declan McDaid’s layoff from Connolly’s cross as the leaders finally woke from their slumber. And Afolabi threatened to add a second soon after but, angling in from the right, scuffed a weak shot.
Bohs - with winger Kris Twardek adding pace and power off the bench - were much improved, yet guilty of trying to find the perfect second goal. That now became the source of the visiting fans’ frustration.
And Bohs were made to pay the price when birthday boy Doyle equalised two minutes from time, pulling the trigger close home from a Norris cross.
UCD: Moore 7; Barr 6, Keaney 7, Wells 6, Dempsey 6; Higgins 6 (Izekor 76, 5), Dignam 5 (Gallagher 42, 6); Clarke 6 (Doyle 61, 7), Nolan 6, Norris 7; Kinsella-Bishop 5 (Behan 45, 6)
BOHEMIANS: Talbot 6; Horton 6, Nowak 6, Radkowski 6, Kirk 6; McDonnell 6 (Clarke 63, 6) McManus 5 (Buckley 45, 7); Connolly 6, O’Sullivan 5 (Afolabi 45, 7), McDaid 6 (Twardek 63, 5); Williams 6.
Referee: K. O'Sullivan
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