The sight of Hughie Byrne has a decidedly adverse effect on Galway United as the westerners once again hit the self-destruct button to all but gift Bohemians a fourth successive win to extend their leadership of the Premier Division table as they made it 11 goals from their last two games.
As he did in their first game against St Patrick's Athletic a fortnight ago, Dublin referee Byrne sent-off another Galway player who simply lost his discipline.
In Inchicore, it was captain Billy Clery who saw red, last night at Terryland Park Darragh Sheridan left his side with an uphill struggle when he received two yellow cards all inside the opening 24 minutes.
The first was for a foul on Mark Rutherford, the second for an utterly silly trip on Simon Webb.
With Bohemians not having conceded a goal and Galway United not having scored one in their respective three games prior to last night, the writing was on the wall from then on.
Bohemians were in front within 10 minutes of Sheridan's indiscretion and 2-0 up and cruising to a comfortable win five minutes before the break. Mark Rutherford got the first, punishing a poor headed-clearance from Michael Quirke, following Webb's cross, to skip between two defenders and give Hickey no chance with a powerful left-foot shot.
Galway were stretched again at the back for the second four minutes later. Hickey initially did well to parry away a powerful drive from Molloy, but Dave Morrison was following up and the winger controlled the ball before crashing it home from close range.
Molloy then wrapped it up with Bohemians' third goal on 61 minutes; galloping through the middle on to a Rutherford ball over the top before shooting past Hickey.
A piece of brilliance from Molloy, who flicked the ball over the head of a defender to run round him and cross, set up Stephen Caffrey for a simple tap-in for the fourth on 66 minutes. Crowe then fed Rutherford who swept in the fifth to complete the rout.
But the game ended unhappily for Bohemians who had Crowe sent-off for a second bookable offence for dissent on 86 minutes before Dave Hill headed into his own goal from a Billy Clery free-kick on 90 minutes.
GALWAY UNITED: Hickey; Sheridan, Silke, Clery, Quirke; Thornton, Murphy, Fortune, O'Brien; Ryan, Carberry. Subs: Shaughnessy for Carberry (66 mins), Keane and B. Byrne for Fortune and Thornton (both 74 minutes).
BOHEMIANS: Dempsey; Shelley, O'Connor, Hill, Webb; Morrison, Caffrey, Hunt, Rutherford; Molloy, Crowe. Subs: O'Neill for Rutherford (70 mins.), Lester for Hunt (76 mins.), Oman for Shelley (80 mins.).
Referee: H. Byrne (Dublin).
