SOCCER: Dundalk 0 Bohemians 0:A LACK of goals but certainly no shortage of entertainment at Oriel Park last night as Dundalk and Bohemians played out a thrilling scoreless draw.

Bohemians came into the game boasting a 100 per cent record but Pat Fenlon surprised many with his formation. Anto Flood, so effective up front in the Gypsies’ opening two league games, started wide on the right with Killian Brennan deployed in the centre of the park.

Flood and Owen Heary posed plenty of problems down the right flank and after 24 minutes Heary raced down the flank before delivering an inch-perfect cross which the unmarked Chris Fagan could only head over from eight yards.

Dundalk, who earlier went close through the in-form Mark Quigley, looked a threat up front with Jason Byrne twice going close against his old employers.

Bohemians though looked the more likely and they almost took the lead when Mark Rossiter’s attempted cross in the 44th minute had Peter Cherrie back peddling to turn the ball over his crossbar. Quigley headed a Kearns free over the bar in the 50th minute and two minutes later Bohemians should have been a goal to the good. Lee Dixon found Steven Traynor whose effort was foiled by Cherrie getting down to save to his left.

Nathan Murphy had to hack a Fagan shot off the line on the hour mark but Dundalk’s Daniel Kearns forced a great save from Murphy with 20 minutes to go. Substitute Johnny Breen then saw a header cleared off the line by Heary.

Referee Damien Hancock turned down what looked like a certain penalty late on when Kearns went down under a strong Cahill challenge.

DUNDALK: Cherrie; Madden, Guthrie, Hawkins, N Murphy; Kearns, Maher, McDonnell (Breen 70), Ward; Byrne, Quigley.

BOHEMIANS: B Murphy; Heary, Burns, Price, Cahill; Flood, Brennan, Rossiter, Dixon (Joyce 75); Traynor (Somers 90), Fagan (Buckley 84).

Referee:D Hancock (Dublin).