Bohs Beat City in Pre-Seaon Opener

📷 KBD Photos

Football is back once again as Cork City began their preparations for the 2025 League of Ireland season with a pre-season friendly against Bohs in Bishopstown. This was the Rebel Army’s first of eight pre-season games, according to Tim Clancy, with the Leesiders playing Treaty United in Mayfield tomorrow.

Cork City lined up with two of this year's new signings in the side; Benny Couto starting at left back with Tein Troost in goal. They also started with two trialists, believed to be Milan Mbeng and Paul Fosu-Mensah, both of whom played centre back. The other starters were Darragh Crowley, Arran Healy, Greg Bolger, Sean Murray, Malik Dijksteel, Sean Murray and Seani Maguire. City had a bench containing players from the under 20s, with the rest of the City squad in attendance and they will likely feature against Treaty United in Mayfield.

As for Bohs, they started new signing John Moutney, who joined the Phibsboro side from Dundalk. Niall Morahan also featured on the bench who’s joined from Sligo. Bohs also started a trialist at centre back.

It only took five minutes for the first goal of the game, and it was the visitors who got it. Bohs had a free kick on the right hand side that was whipped into the box. Tein Troost came to punch it but John Mountney managed to get his head on it and send a close range header into the top left corner to give his new side the lead.

City were still getting to grips with each other again and seemed to struggle at times with some of Bohs’ attacks, one of which was almost dispatched twenty two minutes in. Dawson Devoy picked up the ball in an attacking area and produced a brilliant bit of dribbling before sliding the ball through to Adam McDonnell in the left channel, with McDonnell slotting the ball narrowly wide of the right post.

City had chances of their own, and it was a new face that almost got the equaliser five minutes later. Darragh Crowley whipped in a cross that was cleared away by Bohs. The clearance landed at the feet of Benny Couto at the edge of the box, who shifted it onto his left foot before unleashing a powerful effort towards the top right corner, but James Talbot was equal to it and was able to palm the shot away.

City were stringing attacks together, and it finally paid off with fifteen minutes to go in the half. A crossfield ball was launched from the right hand side and controlled on the left wing by Malik Dijksteel. Malik took on Archie Meekison before cutting inside into the box and curling a brilliant shot into the top right corner to level up the game.

Despite the goal, Bohs kept the pressure on and eventually found their second eight minutes later thanks to a stroke of fortune. City were keeping the ball around the back, before a pass came back to Tein Troost. Troost attempted to find Greg Bolger with a pass into midfield, but the ball was intercepted by Dawson Devoy, who then sent a lofted effort over the head of Troost and into the back of the net to retake the lead.

That would be the last major action of the half with Bohs going in a goal to the good and City having a bit of work to do in order to get a result.

It was a shaky first few minutes for Bohs with a scare coming five minutes into the half. Kacper Chorazka had been introduced in goal for Bohs for the second half and received the ball in the backline. Chorazka, reminiscent of Troost in the first half, tried to pick out a teammate in midfield but his pass was intercepted by Cathal O Sullivan. Cathal charged forward before attempting to bend one around Chorazka, but his effort snuck past the post.

City would be made to rue that missed chance, as eight minutes later, Bohs found a third goal. Archie Meekison managed to get to the byline, on the right hand side before delivering a low cross across the face of goal, where it was met by James Clarke in the box who calmly finished into the back of the net to double the visitors’ lead.

After the goal, both teams made a whole host of changes, essentially emptying the benches to give the younger players some playing time. These changes seemed to play a bit into City’s hands judging by the first few minutes after them, but it was Bohs who had the next big chance with sixty-five minutes played. They put together a brilliant passage of play before slipping a ball into Markuss Strods who ran through on goal, but Rory Moloney in the City goal was equal to Strods’ finish and kept the score at 3-1. 

City managed to capatilise on their positive run of play and made the game interesting three minutes later. Harvey Skieters dropped deep to collect a pass, before turning and playing an incisive ball through to Josh Fitzpatrick, who ran through on goal down the right channel. Josh shifted the ball into his left foot before guiding it past Kacper Chorazka and giving City a way back into the game.

Despite this, Bohs put the game to bed with fifteen minutes to play. The visitors won a free kick in a central position twenty five yards out. It was Cian Byrne who stepped up to take it and Byrne brilliantly whipped the free kick into the top left corner, leaving no chance for Rory Moloney in the City goal. 

That would be the last big action of the game as City fell to a 4-2 defeat in Bishopstown in their first outing of pre-season. There were some promising signs and parts of City’s performance, but overall it was slightly underwhelming but that can sometimes be expected in the early stages of pre-season, and I would take pre-season with a pinch of salt as things can play out very differently once the serious business starts. I was impressed with both centre back trialists despite the four goals conceded, with both looking comfortable at the back for the majority of the game. Seani Maguire also looked dangerous when given a few half chances.

As for Bohs, It was a strong performance from them, with their Premier Division experience visible throughout a lot of the game, which shows the levels City have to get to in order to stay up this season. Dawson Devoy was Bohs’ standout player in my opinion and my man of the match. Devoy was crucial in Bohs’ midfield and created many chances that hurt City throughout the ninety.

City will hope that they can right some of the wrongs of today's performance in their next match which takes place at 2pm in Mayfield tomorrow where they take on Treaty United.

Donncha Noonan
Contributor
Donncha Noonan
TOTAP'S on site match reporter