Ross Tierney, centre, of Bohemians celebrates with his team-mates after scoring his side's winning goal during the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round match against F91 Dudelange in Luxembourg. Photo by Gerry Schmit/Sportsfile
Ross Tierney, centre, of Bohemians celebrates with his team-mates after scoring his side's winning goal during the UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round match against F91 Dudelange in Luxembourg. Photo by Gerry Schmit/Sportsfile
ANOTHER superb away day in Europe from Dubliner Ross Tierney has given Bohemians a massive advantage in their Europa Conference League battle with Dudelange.
The Finglas lad scored the only goal of the game early in the first half as Bohs came away from Luxembourg with a 1-0 win in the first leg of their second round tie, setting the Gypsies up for the home leg against Dudelange next week, that game at the Aviva Stadium an 8,000 sell-out. The winners of the tie play Greek side PAOK in the third round.
Tierney scored on his Ireland U21 debut in Spain last month, then marked his first European appearance for Bohs with a goal in Iceland in the first round, and he netted again on foreign soil, this time in Luxembourg, to secure the win.
Dawson Devoy created the move on 11 minutes, his pass played in Ali Coote and Tierney was on hand to finish after Dudelange's 41-year-old keeper Jonathan Foubert failed to gather the ball.
Dudelange, playing in their first competitive game of the season, struggled to get into the match after that early blow, two weak efforts from Dos Santos Da Cruz all to show for their first half while four minutes into the second period, captain Keith Buckley was on hand to block an effort by Samir Hadji.
Liam Burt saw his chance go wide of the target while on 60 minutes Georgie Kelly was unable to connect with a cross from Burt. Dudelange, who made the group stages of the Europa League only two years ago, grew more and more frustrated and had a series of penalty appeals waved away by the Slovenian referee who showed his fussiness by booking James Finnerty within seconds of his arrival as a sub.
Bohs now focus on Sunday's FAI Cup test away to Cork outfit College Corinthians before the home leg with Dudelange on Lansdowne Road next Thursday.
Dudelange - Joubert; van der Kerkhof, Delgado, Cools, Diouf; Dos Santos, Morren, Kirch; Hadji (Nader 66), Sinani, Bettaieb (Muratovic 66).
Bohenians - Talbot; Lyons, C Kelly (Feely 79), Cornwall, Breslin; Buckley, Devoy; Coote, Tierney (Levingston 68), Burt (Finnerty 80); G Kelly.
Referee - Nejc Kajtazovic (Slovenia)