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Madden seals Setanta final spot for Bohs
Bohemians produced their best defensive performance of the season to clinch a place in the Setanta Sports Cup.

The Gypsies will now meet St Patrick’s Athletic in next month’s all Dublin final after scoring early through Paddy Madden at Windsor Park and then holding out as Linfield through everything at them in search of a win.

It was a much improved performance from the Airtricity League champions who lost 3-2 to Galway United on Friday, and Pat Fenlon made three changes to his team with Jason McGuinness, Mark Rossiter and Killian Brennan coming into the team.

McGuinness had a profound influence on proceedings, but in striking early they set themselves up for the win.

Paul Keegan’s ball over the top caught the Blues’ offside trap flat, and Madden raced on to it, held off Steven Douglas and beat Alan Blayney from the edge of the box.

The visitors looked to hit the Belfast men on the break thereafter, and looked the more likely to score before the break.

Jason Byrne headed the ball straight at Blayney from a Brennan cross, before Raffaele Cretaro’s effort had to be tipped around the post.

Paul Munster had Linfield’s best chance before the break, but his shots were blocked. It wasn’t to be the striker’s night.

After the interval David Jeffries’ men threw everything forward in search of a win. Bohs rode their luck at times, but their defence held strong to preserve their first away clean sheet of the season.

Madden cleared Michael Gault’s header on to the bar and away off the line five minutes in, before Barry Murphy made an excellent reaction save to turn away Michael Carvill’s deflected effort.

Munster was put through by strike partner Peter Thompson, but he fired wide from five yards before Thompson headed straight at Murphy when unmarked.

Munster and William Murphy both had shots fly wide, but Fenlon introduced Anto Murphy, Mark Quigley and Conor Powell who shored things up and they held on to win.

LINFIELD – Blayney; BJ Burns (Bailie 85), Gault, Murphy, Douglas; A Burns (Allen 69); Carvill (Lowry 63), Garrett, Curran; Thompson, Munster.

BOHEMIANS – B Murphy; Shelley, McGuinness, Oman (A Murphy 63), Rossiter (Powell 77); Cretaro (A Murphy 63), Keegan, Cronin, Brennan; Madden, Byrne (Quigley 71).

Ref – D Malcolm (Bangor).
 
 
 
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