Colm Whelan's late double completed a stunning Bohemians comeback to inflict a painful 3-2 defeat on Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park. The visitors scored three times in the final 16 minutes to overturn a two-goal deficit and shatter the home side's unbeaten run.
Stephen Walsh had marked his 403rd appearance for the club with a moment of pure brilliance. In the 31st minute, the veteran forward connected with an Al-Amin Kazeem cross to execute a perfect overhead kick that flew past Patrick Walters. The League of Ireland's official social media account captured the moment, posting: "Stephen Walsh, that is INCREDIBLE 🚀"
Galway doubled their advantage eight minutes after the restart. Kris Twardek capitalised on a mix-up between Bohemians defender Patrick Hickey and goalkeeper Hugo da Cunha, pouncing to slot the ball home. That goal seemed to have John Caulfield's side in complete control, moving them closer to extending their recent solid form.
Whelan turns the tide
Bohemians manager Alan Reynolds introduced Colm Whelan from the bench in the 66th minute, a change that transformed the contest. The substitute needed just eight minutes to make an impact, firing home from Jordan Flores's pass to halve the deficit. The momentum shifted decisively in the 82nd minute when Ross Tierney levelled the scores, finishing from Connor Parsons's delivery.
Whelan then delivered the final blow with just a minute of normal time remaining. After a 25-minute cameo, he found the net again, this time assisted by Z. Myers, to complete a remarkable personal contribution and secure all three points for the Dublin side.
Caulfield's changes
John Caulfield made a triple substitution in the 80th minute, replacing Walsh, Wasiri Williams and Aaron Bolger with Pierrot, Lomboto and Hurley. Kris Twardek was also withdrawn for Connolly in the 88th minute as Galway searched for a response, but the damage was done. The loss ends a sequence where the team had taken eight points from their previous four games, a run detailed in our stats section.
Goalkeeper Hugo da Cunha, defenders Gianfranco Facchineri and Anthony O’Connor, and midfielders Jimmy Keohane and Devitt all completed the full match for the hosts. The result is a significant setback ahead of a key FAI Cup semi-final next month, where these two sides are scheduled to meet again with a place at the Aviva Stadium final in November at stake.
Sligo currently sit 10th in the table, offering Caulfield's men an immediate chance to bounce back from this dramatic collapse.
