Rovers drop off top spot after loss to arch rivals Bohemians
By Daire Walsh
Georgie Kelly struck a 56th-minute goal at Dalymount Park last night to succumb defending champions Shamrock Rovers to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of cross-city rivals Bohemians in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
A 24-year-old striker who spent the majority of 2020 on loan at St Patrick’s Athletic from his previous parent club of Dundalk, Kelly rounded off an excellent team move to give the Gypsies all three points on home soil.
The Donegal man’s 11th of the season also worked to the benefit of his former team-mate at St Pat’s, with their comprehensive 4-1 victory over Finn Harps seeing them leapfrog Rovers at the summit of the top-flight table.
While both teams have an identical goal difference (+13), the Saints are currently in the driving seat by virtue of having shaken the net more often than their Tallaght counterparts.
Following a mixed run of form, Rovers appeared to be back to their best on Friday when they recorded a clinical 4-1 win against Waterford.
Despite coming under some early pressure, Rovers created a number of opportunities during the first half. Rory Gaffney twice went close to opening the scoring, while Graham Burke fired a fierce effort against the post.
Yet Bohs remained resolute in defence and served up a serious blow to their opponents 11 minutes after the restart. Capitalising on excellent build-up play from Dawson Devoy and Liam Burt, Kelly turned sharply inside the area and unleashed a superb shot to the back of the net.
Although there was plenty of time for Rovers to work their way back into the game, James Talbot held firm between the sticks for Bohemians. Stephen Bradley’s title holders will now look to leave this disappointment behind them when they welcome 1,000 supporters to Tallaght on Friday for the visit of Drogheda United.