Bohemians gave an impressive five star show to blast past Galway United and into an eight point lead at the top of the table.

 

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni took in his first League of Ireland match at the sunkissed Dublin venue and his attention would have been directed towards the Shopping Centre End where Brian Murphy was keeping goal for the champions.

 

The former Juventus manager arrived ten minutes in and even before that Barry Ryan was already the busier of the 'keepers, sharply saving from Glen Crowe's deflected effort.

 

He had to be alert to deny Jason Byrne after seventeen minutes after Crowe had turned Sean Kelly and played his strike partner in, but the Clare native turned the shot on to the post and behind for a corner.

 

But Ryan could do nothing as he came to collect Glenn Cronin's cross only to run into Killian Brennan and the ball fell to Anto Murphy who tapped home to open the scoring.

 

Galway came back into the game thereafter and could have been level if Murphy's spill under pressure from John Russell had been allowed to stand, Alan Kelly instead giving a free out.

 

And on the stroke of half time it was two, Ken Oman rising to meet Brennan's corner, glancing a header beyond Ryan.

 

Anything Ian Foster had hoped to achieve in his half time team talk went out the window two minutes in as Crowe slipped on to Ndo's pass to score after some sloppy defending from Garry Breen.

 

And while Trapattoni departed with fifteen minutes to go, the show went on with Killian Brennan scoring from the penalty spot after Mark O'Toole felled Anto Murphy with ten minutes remaining.

 

With a minute remaining Brian Shelley added a fifth after a fine run forward and one two with Cronin.

 

Whatever the international coach's previous impressions of the League, this display cannot but have impressed him as while Galway were second best, the champions put on a show of strength to make their rivals sit up and take note.

 

Bohemians: B Murphy; Heary (McGuinness 55), Shelley, Omans, Powell; A Murphy, Cronin, Ndo, Brennan; Crowe (Madden 76), Byrne (Fenn 63).

 

Galway United: Ryan; Conneely, Breen, Guthrie, O'Toole; O'Brien, Russell (McBrien 64), Kelly, Murphy (Molloy 80), Davoren; Faherty (Green 61).

 

Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).