League of Ireland: Grant and Clarke strike to send Bohs up to fourth with win over UCD

UCD threaten late comeback after Alonge long-range stunner but visitors hold on in Belfield

Daire Walsh at Belfield

UCD 1 Bohemians 2

James Clarke and Danny Grant found the net at Belfield as Bohemians moved up to fourth in the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table with victory over UCD.

Fresh from booking an FAI Cup final spot along with another Dublin rival in St Patrick’s Athletic, Bohs came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening quarter when a ball over the top released Jonathan Afolabi on goal.

The Gypsies striker was off-target with his subsequent effort, however, and UCD netminder Lorcan Healy later produced a superb point-blank save from Ali Coote to ensure the sides remained scoreless at the interval.

Yet it took Bohs less than 60 seconds on the restart to find a breakthrough as Clarke drove powerfully into the box and poked the ball beyond the reach of Healy.

The visitors continued to push forward for additional goals from here and even though Healy came to the rescue of the already-relegated UCD on a number of occasions, Grant rose majestically in the 66th-minute to nod home a Dylan Connolly cross.

There was a late scare for Bohs when Students substitute Matthew Alonge fired an outstanding long-distance strike past James Talbot, but Declan Devine’s side ultimately held out for their 15th league win of 2023.

UCD: Healy; Osam, Wells, Clancy, Curtis (Gallagher, 59 mins); Raggett (Norris, 55 mins), Brennan (Barr, 73 mins), Verdon, Keane, Behan (Alonge, 73 mins); Doyle (Kinsella-Bishop, 55 mins).

BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Kukulowicz, Nowak, Byrne, Kirk; McDonnell, Clarke (Flores, 70 mins); Connolly (McDaid, 70 mins), Coote (Akintunde, 80 mins), Grant (O Sullivan, 80 mins); Afolabi (Williams, 85 mins).

Referee: D Dunne (Dublin).