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Owen Heary: taking over at Sligo.
So Long

Owen Heary goes out on a high as Bohs beat Candystripes

Jason Byrne skippered the Gypsies and scored on what may well be his swansong.

Bohemians 2

Derry City 1

THE END OF an era for Bohemians manager Owen Heary who signed off after an eight-year stint as a player and coach at Dalymount Park with a win against the cup finalists, before he heads out west.

Jason Byrne was given the armband tonight and scored the winner after Dinny Corcoran had equalised Mark Timlin’s opener.

The home side applied all the pressure in the first half and looked the most likely to score but their defence was caught out by Timlin in the 12th minute. The winger latched on to a fine Joshua Tracey pass and beat the offside trap before striking the ball into the far corner with a powerful left footer.

The goal left Heary’s side dazed for a spell until Kevin Devaney came alive on the right wing teaming up well with Steven Beattie. 24 minutes into the half, the latter supplied the former who played a one two with Corcoran but then blasted a cross past all of his team-mates waiting in the box.

Karl Moore had Ger Doherty scrambling two minutes later when he skilfully dinked the ball over his marker and fired a powerful shot at goal but the visiting goalkeeper got down to pull off a good save.

The home crowd were angered, and rightly so, by referee Andrew Mullally’s decision not to award a penalty after substitute Philip Lowry clattered Beattie in the box just after the half-hour mark but they only had to wait one minute for the equaliser.

Eoin Wearen, who is expected to move on in the close season, played another one of those long diagonal balls towards Corcoran, playing off the shoulder of the Derry defence. The striker controlled it well before bending the ball into the net around the oncoming Doherty.

Doherty was in danger of being sent off just before the break. Steven Beattie broke free once more aiming to get on the end of a long ball in from the back. Doherty came off his line and took down the striker inside the box. The referee, somehow, seemed unsure but pointed to the spot after consulting his assistant and then dished out a yellow card to Doherty. Byrne fired the penalty into the top left-hand corner.

Derry came out strong after the break and put the hosts’ goalmouth under pressure for a spell. Peter Hutton crucially used all his subs inside 71 minutes and ended up losing Ryan McBride who looked to have suffered a concussion after an accidental clash in his box with Byrne. McBride was rightly told to stay off the pitch and Derry closed out the game a man down.

Bohmians were in the ascendancy after that and had a couple of good chances before they were awarded another penalty when Corcoran went down in a crowded Derry box, this one not as stonewall as the other two. He took it himself but his tame kick was off target.

Byrne received a standing ovation from the home fans as he was subbed off before the penalty decision and again after the full-time whistle. Heary wouldn’t confirm whether his striker was retiring but you would have to wonder if we will see the League of Ireland legend pulling on his boots ever again.

Bohemians: Delany, Memery, Lopes, Price, K. Moore, Byrne (C) (Hyland 89), Corcoran, Wearen, Devaney (Kavanagh 89), Buckley (Walsh 89), Beattie. Substitutes: McEvoy, Evans, Collins, G. Moore.

Derry City: Doherty, Jarvis, Molloy (C), McEleney, Ventre, Boyle (Dooley 71), Tracey, Houston (Lowry 15), Timlin, Curran, Barry (McBride 46). Substitutes: Duffy, Gallagher.