Shamrock Rovers and Bohs play out entertaining draw in Dublin derby

Shelbourne hold onto top spot after draw with Dundalk

Daire Walsh

SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division: Bohemians 1 Shamrock Rovers 1

Reigning champions Shamrock Rovers remain two points adrift of Shelbourne at the summit of the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division table after they played out an entertaining draw with arch rivals Bohemians in front of 4,429 spectators at Dalymount Park last night.

Following a superb opener from Filip Piszczek in the 23rd minute, the Hoops subsequently responded with an equaliser from Johnny Kenny to ensure that the sides were inseparable at the end of the contest.

In the form of Roberto Lopes, Dylan Watts and Aaron Greene, Rovers boss Stephen Bradley was able to call upon three former Bohs players for this latest Dublin derby duel. Greene was presented with a glorious chance to break the deadlock when he was put through on goal by Darragh Nugent in the seventh minute of the action, but opposition netminder Kacper Chorazka was out like a flash to deny the Hoops attacker.

However, Adam McDonnell also forced a save out of Rovers custodian Leon Pohls at the end of an encouraging attack and the hosts eventually pounced for a breakthrough goal on the first-quarter mark.

After Bohs midfielder Jordan Flores got his head to a tame clearance by the Hoops, impressive approach work by James Akintunde helped to release Piszczek inside the penalty area. An off-season arrival to Dalymount Park, the Polish native controlled the ball with consummate ease before hammering powerfully to the roof of the net in clinical style.

This substantially raised the decibel levels around the Phibsboro venue and the Gypsies faithful were almost celebrating a second moments later, but Dayle Rooney’s deft chip ultimately floated narrowly past the target.

Rovers breathed a significant sigh of relief in the wake of this missed opportunity and while it was somewhat against the run of play, the visitors were back on level terms in time for the interval. There was just under 42 minutes gone on the clock when the ball fell invitingly at the feet of Kenny and he made no mistake with a superb drive that Chorazka was powerless to stop.

There was perhaps an expectation that Rovers might start to crank things up on the resumption and the Hoops certainly enjoyed the lion’s share of the possession in the early moments of the second half.

Yet the diligent Bohs defence – marshalled by the central pairing of Jevon Mills and Aboubacar Keita – ensured that clear-cut scoring chances were largely at a premium for Rovers. Hoops defender Joshua Honohan did head towards goal on 65 minutes, but Chorazka convincingly gathered his effort in the end.

Moving into the final-quarter, the ever-lively Trevor Clarke raided down the left-wing for Rovers and his crisp shot had to be turned away at his near post by the reliable Chorazka.

Whereas Gypsies boss Alan Reynolds introduced Declan McDaid, James McManus and Dylan Connolly off the bench to join first half substitute James Clarke on the pitch, his Hoops counterpart Bradley added Jack Byrne, Neil Farrugia and Sean Kavanagh to the mix in a typically frantic finale.

Markus Poom had earlier taken over from former Gypsies midfielder Watts in the closing stage of the opening period, but despite referee Damien McGrath adding almost seven minutes of stoppage-time, the spoils were shared in a game that ended with heated exchanges between both sets of players.

Thanks to their 0-0 draw away to Dundalk, Damien Duff’s Shelbourne hold on to top spot in the Premier Division table for the time being. There was also a scoreless affair between Galway United and Derry City at Eamonn Deacy Park, while St Patrick’s Athletic and Waterford enjoyed 1-0 wins over Drogheda United and Sligo Rovers respectively.

BOHEMIANS: Chorazka; Matheson, Mills, Keita, Kirk; Flores (McDaid, 76 mins), B McManus (Clarke, 10 mins); Rooney, McDonnell, Akintunde (J McManus, 76 mins); Piszczek (Connolly, 70 mins).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Pohls; Lopes, Cleary, Honohan; Burns (Kavanagh, 85 mins), Watts (Poom, 35 mins), Noonan (Byrne, 79 mins), Clarke (Farrugia, 79 mins); Nugent; Greene, Kenny.

Referee: D McGrath (Mayo).