Nolan denies Tycor dream Premier return
Glen Hawe of Tycor takes on the Bohs defence in the Premier League at The Willamstown Complex on Tuesday night. Photos: Paul Elliott.
Second-half substitute Shane Nolan snatched a late, late point from the jaws of defeat to deny Tycor a winning return to life in the Azzurri Premier League as his golden leveller gave Bohemians a result from the opening game of the new season at breezy Williamstown on Tuesday evening.
When it looked as if Adam Sutton’s stunning free-kick inside two minutes was going to be the difference at the call of time, the Ben Wadding Park outfit won a late corner-kick that saw Nolan’s right-wing delivery went straight into the far corner of the net.
The game was less than two minutes old when the home side got off to a brilliant start when Glenn Hawe was stopped in his tracks 25-yards from goal, and Adam Sutton gave Bohemians keeper Aaron Breen no chance with a cracking free-kick that found the top left-hand corner of the net.
Michael Merrigan sent over a long throw ball from the left on 16 minutes that was cleared into the path of Tommy Mullally, but his first-time volley from the top of the penalty area cleared the crossbar of Tycor keeper Dylan Nolan.
Nolan came into make a smart save for the hosts on 27 minutes when Merrigan sent over a left-wing delivery that picked out the run of Ider Boldbaatar at the near post, but his low right-footed shot was well kept out by the Tycor number one.
There was a big chance for Tycor to double their lead sixty seconds later when centre forward Jack Power burst through the Bohemians defence on the right-side, but his low right-footed shot from a good position lacked the power to beat keeper Breen.
The second-half saw little between the teams with the visitors having a chance to level on 56 minutes when Ronan Kissane cut in from the left-side of the area, but keeper Dylan Nolan saved at his near post before Robbie Bourke had a chance for the home side at the other end.
After latching onto a through ball from the centre on the right-side of the penalty area on 70 minutes, the striker cracked in a shot that was well saved by keeper Aaron Breen and Miki Hearne couldn’t convert the angled rebound.
Bourke had another opportunity for his side five minutes later when he raced onto a ball over the top on the left-side of the penalty area before cutting into the penalty area, but he fired over the bar of the advancing keeper from 16 yards.
It looked for long periods of the final quarter of the game that Michael Robinson’s side were going to hold out for the win, but they were undone by an equalising goal five minutes into second-half injury-time from a set play.
A long ball came into the area from the left-side that was superbly cleared out for a corner-kick out on the right from goalscorer Sutton, but Shane Nolan broke the hearts of the Tycor players as his delivery with his left-foot found the far corner of the net direct from the flag-kick.
There was still time for Tycor to conjure up one final chance to snatch victory when Sutton launched a long throw in from the left into the danger area that found the head of Lennan Forsey, but his header went wide of the back post with the final whistle sounding from the resulting goal-kick. A point apiece wasn’t the worst result for both teams in a far from brilliant contest.
Dylan Nolan, Sean Power, Kevin Butler, Connor Rochford, David Griffin, Adam Sutton, Charlie Power, Glenn Hawe, Jack Power, Michael Hearne (Lennan Forsey 76), Robbie Bourke (Jack Kiely 85)
Aaron Breen, Keelyn Fanning, Michael Merrigan, Davin Power (Luke Brown 68), Harry Phelan, Ronan Kissane (Leo Blake 90), Tommy Mullally, Ider Boldbaatar (Bernie Patrick McDonagh 67), David Kennedy (Shane Nolan 63), Dion Donnelly, Harvey Swift (Bradley Keohan 90).
Ian O’Keeffe assisted by Noel Purcell and Adrian Scanlon.
