Ghent got off to the perfect start as they cancelled out Bohemians’ first leg advantage within 18 seconds of the start of the game when striker Mbark Boussoufa beat the visitors’ offside trap to race onto a Wouter Vrancken pass before coolly beating Matt Gregg from 18 yards.

In the tenth minute, the home side took a 2-1 lead in the tie when a superb cross field pass by Mamar Mamouni picked out the unmarked Yngvar Hakonsen who crashed an unstoppable left-foot volley past Gregg from the edge of the area.

A third goal arrived in the 60th minute when a half-cleared corner was fired back in by Steve Cooreman and his shot was spilled by Gregg with Vrancken eventually tapping home.

But Bohemians fought back and made the score 3-1 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate with 15 minutes remaining when Des Byrne bundled the ball over the line after Foley had headed down a Fergal Harkin corner.

Ghent: Herpoel; Smoje, Laybutt, Lombaerts; Cooreman, Vrancken, Mamouni, Hakonsen; Boussoufa (De Beule 89), Jbari (Martens 83), Matthys (Diop ht).

Bohemians: Gregg; Rice, Oman, Byrne, Keddy; Kelly (Harkin 66), Hunt (Hunt 67), Farrelly, Ward; Grant, Foley.

Referee: K Mammadov (Azerbaijan).