Soccer

Georgie Kelly rescues a point for Bohs in Dalymount Park thriller

Derry City thought they had won with a stoppage time goal from James Akintunde

Georgie Kelly celebrates scoring the equalising goal in the last seconds of the game. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Georgie Kelly celebrates scoring the equalising goal in the last seconds of the game. Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho
Mon Sept 20 2021 - 22:38

Bohemians 3 Derry City 3

Georgie Kelly salvaged a point for Bohemians with a last-gasp equaliser just as Derry City thought they had won this Dalymount Park thriller as the sides swapped goals in stoppage time.

Third-placed Sligo Rovers will have been happy watching the late, late drama unfold as they maintain their six-point cushion over Derry with Bohemians a further point behind, with two games in hand, in the race for Europe.

James Akintunde thought he had won it for Derry when punishing hesitant defending from James Finnerty to lob James Talbot in the 91st minute.

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And though only three minutes had been held up on the fourth official’s board, it was the fifth minute of added time when Kelly chested down Keith Ward’s cross to turn and volley sublimely to the net for his 16th goal of the league season.

In a thrilling second half, Kelly had also equalised to make it 2-2 on 80 minutes when heading in Dawson Devoy’s cross after Derry had turned the game on its head following Bohemians’ dominant first half.

The Dubliners led from the seventh minute thanks to a terrific goal following their first foray forward. Left-back Anto Breslin’s cross was cleverly dummied by Ross Tierney for Kelly to lay it off for Liam Burt who rifled his shot to the roof of Nathan Gartside’s net for his seventh strike of the season.

Gartside prevented Bohemians doubling their lead with a point-blank save from Burt on 28 minutes. And though the home side maintained the upper hand into the second half, Derry survived to strike for a stunning equaliser on 62 minutes.

Little appeared on when Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe’s diagonal ball found Jamie McGonigle out of the left.

The former Coleraine and Crusaders hitman got the ball onto his right foot to curl a majestic shot into the far top corner for his 100th senior goal. It got better for Derry on 75 minutes when they took the lead.

Substitute Will Fitzgerald went on a marauding run past no fewer than five Bohemians players to feed McGonigle whose cross was bundled over the line at the back post by Ogedi-Uzokwe. But there were plenty more twists to come.

Bohemians: Talbot; Lyons (Feely, 77), Cornwall, Finnerty, Breslin; Buckley (Levingston, 77), Devoy; Burt, Tierney (Mullins, 90), Coote (Ward, 40); G. Kelly.

Derry City: Gartside; Boyce, Cole, Toal, Coll; Malone (Fitzgerald, 71), Harkin, E. McLaughlin (Story, 90+4); Akintunde; Ogedi-Uzokwe, McGonigle.

Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).