final score vs halmstads: [Archive]

jbrazil

25/07/2001, 9:50 PM

Bohemians threw away a one-goal lead to leave Swedish side Halmstad firm favourites to meet Anderlecht in the next round of the Champions' League.

The Dubliners have enjoyed their European experiences over the last 12 months and when star striker Glen Crowe gave them the lead after just 23 minutes it looked as if it was going to be another glory night at Dalymount Park.

But a sell-out crowd of 4,500 saw Halmstad tear up the script, first by equalising from the penalty spot through Tommy Jonsson and then netting a winner from hit-man Stefan Selakovic.

And it could have all been so different if Crowe had scored more than one of the four clear chances he had in front of goal.

Before the game Halmstad boss Tom Prahl said that Crowe posed the biggest threat to his side, but when the Dubliner missed a chance on 15 minutes it looked as if it would not be his night. He shot straight at goalkeeper Hakan Svensson when he was put through by Alex Nesovic.

Paul Byrne went close to putting Bohemian FC ahead on 20 minutes when his swerving shot forced a top-class save from Svensson, but Crowe broke the deadlock on 23 minutes, heading home his third Champions' League goal of the season from a Simon Webb cross.

Full-back Webb came close to scoring on 27 minutes when his corner-kick almost went into Svensson's net, but the keeper made an acrobatic save.

Halmstads drew level on the half-hour mark from the penalty spot after goalkeeper Wayne Russell took down Selakovic in the box. Defender Jonsson stepped up to convert the kick.

Crowe should have put the home side back in front a minute before half-time when he was put clear in a one-on-one situation with Svensson, but again the stopper came out on top. Crowe had yet another chance on 51 minutes when he tried a backheel form Rutherford's cross, but Svensson denied him again, and the home side were forced to pay for those misses on 56 minutes when Halmstads took the lead.

A long ball out of defence from Mikael Nilsson caught Bohemians – and Russell – off their guard and all that striker Selakovic had to do was lob the ball into the net over the head of defender Avery John.

The goal knocked the Dubliners off course and for a time it seemed as if the floodgates would open in front of Russell's goal. Halmstads could have had a third goal on 73 minutes, only for Shaun Maher to clear Robert Andersson's shot off the line.

Bohemians boss Pete Mahon changed things around to try and get a goal back, moving winger Mark Rutherford up front with Crowe. Rutherford almost got the goal his superb performance deserved on 80 minutes but his shot, after a mazy run, was blocked by defender Michael Svensson.

In the dying moments shots from Stephen Caffrey and David Morisson saw the home side go close – but not close enough.

Bohemians: Russell, Shelley, John, Maher, Webb, Byrne (Morisson 77), Hunt, Caffrey, Rutherford, Nesovic (Harkin 77), Crowe (O'Neill 85)

Halmstad: H Svensson, Vennberg (Johansson 58), M Svensson, Jonsson, F Andersson, Nilsson, Hansson (Gustafsson 46), Arvidsson, Wowah (Karlsson 88), Selakovic, R Andersson

Referee: E Ersoy (Turkey)

from onefootball.com