Bohemians turn their attention to cup action this afternoon (3pm) as they welcome Glentoran to Dalymount Park in the opening game of their All-Island Cup campaign, writes Gary O’Connor.
It is a competition that evokes strong memories for Bohs supporters after last season’s superb run to the final, where they came agonisingly close to lifting silverware before eventually losing to Wexford on penalties. That journey was one of the standout stories of the 2025 season and included a memorable 3-1 away win over Glentoran in the quarter-finals, giving Saturday’s meeting an extra sense of familiarity.
Alan Murphy’s side come into the fixture looking to bounce back from a difficult afternoon in league action last weekend, when they fell to a 5-2 defeat against reigning double champions Athlone Town.
The scoreline perhaps did not fully reflect the balance of the game for long periods. After an early setback through a penalty from Dana Scheriff, Bohs settled well and grew into the contest. Their response was excellent, with Aoibhe Brennan levelling before half-time to send the sides in at 1-1.
Murphy felt the first half performance gave plenty of encouragement.
“Yeah, we were disappointed in the second-half performance. We didn’t start the game well, but I thought we grew into the game in the first half. I thought it was a fair reflection, 1-1 at half-time. We were positive going into the second half.”
However, a series of individual errors after the break allowed Athlone to punish Bohs in ruthless fashion, something Murphy admitted was uncharacteristic of his side.
“We felt we had a good game plan. I suppose it was just a case of individual mistakes in the second half, which is unlike us to have so many in such a concentrated period. So disappointed, definitely. I don’t think it was a 5-2 game, and obviously the last goal puts a little bit of a gloss on it for them. But disappointed and looking to make amends for that this weekend.”
That desire to respond immediately makes the timing of this fixture particularly welcome. Rather than dwelling on the defeat, Bohs now have the chance to quickly refocus on a different competition and one that brought so much positivity last season.
With the international break also following this weekend’s fixture, Murphy believes it is the perfect opportunity for the group to mentally reset.
“Yeah, I think so and the fact that there is a bit of a break afterwards then with the internationals. It’s a team that we don’t always play against as well, so I think it’s nice from that perspective, it’s a break from the norm, and obviously a competition that was good to us last year in terms of getting to the final. So definitely one we’re looking forward to.”
Last year’s run to the final remains a significant reference point for this squad. It was a campaign that helped shape the group’s mentality and belief, giving many players their first taste of knockout football deep into a competition.
Murphy believes that experience can now work in Bohs’ favour.
“Absolutely. I think it was our first experience of a final for almost all of the squad, so from that aspect, something they really enjoyed. That’s a feeling that they want to get again, so it’s definitely a motivating factor for the players.”
Today’s opponents will pose a serious challenge. Glentoran are one of the strongest sides in Northern Ireland and arrive with plenty of pedigree and experience throughout their squad.
Bohs know from last season’s meeting that this will be far from straightforward, even if the final scoreline in that quarter-final suggested otherwise.
Murphy was keen to stress the quality within the Glentoran ranks.
“It’s a tough challenge. They’ve got some really experienced players. Obviously, we played them last year in the All-Island quarter-final, so we know what they’re about. They’ve a couple of players that have been Northern Ireland internationals. They have players that have played in the WSL.”
He also highlighted the tactical issues they posed in the previous meeting, particularly in terms of their shape and organisation.
“We know it’ll be a tough task. They set up quite well, they caused us difficulty last year in terms of their shape. But from our perspective, we also have massive belief in our group. So we’ll have a game plan, we’re expecting that if our game plan comes together, we have a good chance of picking up the win.”
While cup games can often bring opportunities for rotation, Murphy indicated that there will be no major changes in mindset. Player welfare will naturally be assessed after a busy spell, but the aim remains to put out the strongest side possible.
“We approach with the same mindset. I think we’ll take stock of just how the bodies are after the game last Saturday. We have a couple of knocks and sore bodies, some players haven’t played all three games in the last few weeks, so we won’t be making wholesale changes.”
That said, the fixture may present a chance for some players on the fringes of the starting XI to earn valuable minutes.
“We’ll take stock and potentially there is an opportunity to get girls minutes that haven’t necessarily been playing over the last couple of weeks.”
Team News
Eimear Lafferty (ankle) remains out.
The Women’s All-Island Cup receives funding from the Shared Island Civic Society Fund via the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Government of Ireland and the FAI would like to acknowledge and thank the support of the Government of Ireland in the organisation of this competition.