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Bohemians 2 Shamrock Rovers 0
Friday, 20 March 2009 12:28
Bohemians got the better of the Dublin rivals Shamrock Rovers thanks to a Jason Byrne brace at Dalymount Park.

The striker was at his clinical best, scoring either side of half-time, as Pat Fenlon’s team showed that they are the team to beat again this season.  Seven points from three games puts them right in the mix even at this early stage.

For the Hoops they have the more modest return of four, but Michael O’Neill can feel positive about the future.  His team contributed much to an entertaining match and were dominant for long periods.

In the end, though, they couldn’t make their pressure count and against the double champions that wastefulness will not go unpunished.

It was a measure of the quality that existed in the Championship winning Drogheda United side of two seasons ago that two former stalwarts, Paul Keegan and Shane Robinson, captained their new clubs in their first Dublin derby.

There were other tussles between former teammates around the pitch, Ollie Cahill and Brian Shelley being one on the wing, but the midfield engine room would be crucial and Keegan and Robinson went toe to toe from the beginning of this one despite their history on the same side.

The visitors, sporting pink jerseys for the night in aid of Action Brest Cancer Ireland, made the better start and it was Robinson and Stephen Rice who seemed to be getting the upper hand in the middle of the park.

But that early good work was undone when Rice got himself the wrong side of Gary Deegan inside the box with 16 minutes on the clock after Jason Byrne had delivered a pinpoint cross from left. Byrne did the honours himself from 12-yards, sending Barry Murphy the wrong way.

That early goal lit the fuse for what turned out to be a pulsating 30 minutes period up until the half-time interval.  There should have been additions to the scoreline, but a combination of goalkeepers’ fingertips, a lick of paint and even the suspicion of a defender’s hand made sure there wasn’t.

Murphy, the Rovers version that is, was busy and he made two brilliant saves when he tipped Glen Crowe’s volley and Deegan sidefoot shot over his crossbar and around his upright respectively.

Despite those opportunities, it wasn’t the home side that had the better of proceedings and the Hoops could really feel aggrieved in the dressing room at the break that they hadn’t made their pressure` and chances count.

Stephen Bradley, who has been a revelation in the two games seen to date this season by this correspondent, was at the centre of everything and on two occasions a mazy run by the midfielder ended in saves from the other Murphy in the Bohs goal.

Bradley came even closer to an equaliser on 37 minutes when Ken Oman’s misdemeanour was nearly punished in the extreme.  A curling free-kick looked set for the net, but somehow managed to stay out after hitting the inside of the upright and bouncing back into play.

Oman, having picked up a yellow card in the previous challenge, threaded on the thinnest sheet of ice as he threw himself at Gary Twigg and there was more than a suspicion of handball as he blocked the Scotsman’s shot.

Such is the nature of football, that if Rovers were to get back into the game they would have to convert one of those chances.  They didn’t and on 63 minutes the game looked to beyond them.

Ndo, who had been berated by the visiting fans all night, stole a march on Simon Madden down the left and his low cross was squeezed in off the upright by the predator Byrne, his second of the night.

Bohemians: B Murphy; Shelley, Oman, McGuinness, Rossiter; A Murphy, Deegan (Cronin, 89), Keegan, Ndo; Byrne (Carey, 85), Crowe.

Shamrock Rovers: Murphy; Madden, Webb, Price, Bermingham; Bradley, Rice (Purcell, 81), Robinson, Cahill (O’Connor, 73); Twigg, Baker (Cameron, 67).

Ref: R Winter (Dublin).
 
 
 
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