There have been considerably more goals per game in the Premier Division this season than the past two and one could see why at Terryland, as Bohemians deservedly beat Galway in a six-goal extravaganza.
What Dawson Devoy would do next week was the chat of Bohs fans in recent days but what he did tonight was show that an Ireland call-up is no more than his talent merits.
Simply, he stamped his brilliance on this first half, scoring a screamer on 25 minutes and laying it off for Douglas James-Taylor's second on the half-hour, leaving poor Galway United defenders perhaps wondering what this Dubliner could do for Ireland or at a higher level in continental Europe.
But it was the Ed McCarthy show in the second half, both his goals (62 and 77 minutes) allowing United to dream, his second as good a goal as Devoy has ever scored.
However, Bohs had gone 3-1 ahead through Ross Tierney (75 minutes) and quickly re-established a two-goal advantage on 78 minutes via Patrick Hickey. This was further drama in a crazy contrast to Bohs' 1-0 win over United earlier this term at Dalymount, a game that was a hard watch almost throughout.
Devoy never seems a hard watch and he ran the first half. His opener was partly the product of United giving him far too much space after Harry Vaughan's neat pass but superior players make space and he then curled the ball into the top corner with nonchalance.
His layoff for James-Taylor was textbook five minutes later and, while James-Taylor would have been aiming for somewhere nearer the far post, his shot had sufficient power to beat Evan Watts.
John Caulfield made three changes at the break and it was no surprise that a triple substitution by Bohs later in the second half would also bear goals – it truly is a squad game these days, with 32 players seeing action on the night.
Jordan Flores crept in at the back post from a corner two minutes into the second half from Dayle Rooney but struggled to keep his feet and United had a let-off.
For all of Devoy's dominance, ex-Bohemians winger Kris Twardek missed a chance his form suggested he would gobble up in the next attack, flashing a rebound over when he looked certain to score – only moments after coming into the fray.
Then Devoy, having been fed by Darragh Power, fashioned another disguised pass to Tierney, but Killian Brouder blocked his shot with United floundering.
Twardek excelled in his first season at Bohs and he was in that form this evening, setting up the goal that brought United back into it. He turned onto his left foot and delivered a perfect delivery to the back stick where, one-on-one with Power, McCarthy headed the ball back across goal and in.
Bohs have ample additions on the other side of the white line and substitute Colm Whelan showed composure aplenty to set up Tierney, United's defence badly stretched, to restore the two-goal margin with 15 minutes to go.
Incredibly, not only were United back within a goal within a minute: it was only a goal-of-the-season calibre effort too from McCarthy, as he showed immense skill to beat two Bohs players before smashing the ball into the top corner, sending the home fans from sorrow to hope and hysteria.
And perhaps less incredibly, having already scored against his former team earlier this term, Hickey crept in at the back post to head home from a sweet Rooney delivery to quell the rebellion and the men of the west.
The win sees Bohs move to within a point of Saint Patrick's, still in third, with leaders Shamrock Rovers visiting Dalymount, and Devoy, on Monday.
Galway United: Evan Watts, Connor Barratt (Kris Twardek 46), Wasiri Williams, Killian Brouder, Conor McCormack (Lee Devitt 46), Ed McCarthy; Jimmy Keohane, David Hurley (Francely Lomboto 79), Aaron Bolger; Frantz Pierrot (Matty Wolfe 46), Stephen Walsh (Nicolas Chateau 79).
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Darragh Power, Patrick Hickey, Cian Byrne, Jordan Flores; Dawson Devoy, Sadou Diallo (Niall Morahan 70); Harry Vaughan (Connor Parsons 70), Ross Tierney (Zane Myers 86), Dayle Rooney (Ryan Burke 86); Douglas James-Taylor (Colm Whelan 70).
Referee: Lucas Keating.
