TWO WEEKS INTO the Airtricity League and all 100% records have been obliterated. No club has won their opening two games, leaving the top of the Premier Division congested — teams from first to eighth are separate by a solitary point.
Many dreams have yet to be dashed. Bohemians are currently second in the league, by dint of their +3 goal difference. Cross-town rivals Shamrock Rovers are right behind but Friday’s encounter at Dalymount Park offers the perfect opportunity to pull clear.
Bohs winger Karl Moore has featured in his teams’ unbeaten start to the 2014 season. While he admits it is early in the grand scheme of the league, Moore feels a win over their Dublin rivals could set the Gypsies up for a ‘dark horse’ season.
He told TheScore.ie, “If we get a win we will be, at the very least, three points ahead of Rovers and right up at the top of the league. It is competitive up there at the moment but we are happy with how we have been going. We don’t fear anyone, at Bohemians, this season. We’re going to have a go in every game we play.
“A win on Friday will set down a marker and show people we mean business. We’ll look to keep picking up points and see where we are in a couple of months. No-one expects us to challenge for the league but we know, from past seasons, that there is always one side that is a surprise package. Dundalk were that side last season and Drogheda put in a strong challenge.”
Moore, who is currently combining accountancy studies with his football, spent a frustrating season with the Hoops in 2011. He played only three games before moving on to Bohemians the following year. The 25-year-old cited a short pre-season [he was a free agent having been released by Galway United] and high profile signings by Hoops boss Michael O’Neill as reasons he struggled at Tallaght Stadium. “We had qualified for Europe and the boss bought Jim Paterson and Rohan Ricketts,” he recalled. “They were both left midfielders and the boss had spent big bucks on them. It was tough.”
Moore signed for Bohs the following season and truly settled at the club after scoring against Rovers in a 4-0 win at Dalymount. He is now at the start of his third season with the club. Bohemians, he believes, have started positively and have been rewarded for an attacking style with a decent return of goals — five in two games. The early season, goalscoring form of Dinny Corcoran has certainly helped.
“We were 2-0 up on Drogheda last Friday but threw it away. We were on top for most of the game but two mistakes cost us the win,” he said. “It was the opposite last season as we got a smash and grab draw against them. That shows you how far we’ve come.”
Rovers cross the Liffey on Friday and Moore is planning a hostile welcome. “The new [club commissioned] graffiti heading into the ground is really impressive and has added to the atmosphere on match nights,” he said. “There is a proper feel to it. I love the ‘Hold Me Now’ picture but another great one is the ‘We are Bohs’ sign that faces the away fans. It lets teams know we won’t be taking a step back.”
