Bohemians see off Rovers to finish home season on high
Bohemians 1 Shamrock Rovers 0
A first-half goal from Roberto Lopes was the difference at Dalymount Park as Bohemians claimed the bragging rights over 10-man Shamrock Rovers in a tense Airtricity League Premier Division clash.
This latest Dublin Derby between the two sides was the final home game of 2016 for Bohs, and despite coming under some pressure from their long-standing rivals in the latter stages, they were full value for their victory.
Rovers had come from 2-0 behind to secure a draw with Derry City in their most recent league encounter on September 27th and striker Gary Shaw was marginally off-target with a powerful effort from distance during the early moments of play.
However, the Gypsies were eager to make amends for their 4-0 defeat to the Tallaght men at the same venue in April, and they deservedly took the lead in the 15th minute. A corner by Lorcan Fitzgerald was delivered into the path of impressive Bohs centre half Lopes, whose bullet header flew past Barry Murphy in the Rovers goal.
This was a massive confidence boost for Keith Long’s charges after suffering a 2-1 reversal to Bray Wanderers last Friday week and Keith Buckley was close to doubling their advantage on the half-hour mark.
His attempted lob of the advancing Murphy just cleared the post, but although 2013 All-Ireland SFC winner Shane Supple collected a low drive from Shaw in the 38th minute, Bohs brought a one-goal cushion into the interval.
Following a disappointing first half from their point of view, Rovers boss Sami Ristila was seeking an improvement from his side after the restart. They certainly increased their energy levels during the third quarter, but with Bohs’ back four all in fine form, Supple remained largely untroubled.
Skipper Patrick Cregg was the fifth Rovers player to be booked by referee Paul Tuite on 55 minutes, and he subsequently received his marching orders 11 minutes later when he was given a second yellow-card for a dive inside the Bohs area.
The hosts’ numerical supremacy placed them in pole position for their 12th league win of the campaign, but with Rovers continuing to enjoy some good spells of possession, it was by no means a foregone conclusion.
Yet, despite seeing a Shaw header marginally missing the target deep into second-half stoppage-time, Bohs held out to claim all three points.
BOHEMIANS: Supple; Pender, Lopes, Prendergast, Fitzgerald; Wearen (D Byrne, 86 mins), Morris; Kavanagh (Quigley, 91 mins), Buckley, Kelly; K Byrne (O’Halloran, 76 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Hanney (Kiely, 82 mins), Webster, O’Connor, Madden; Clarke (Bolger, 70 mins), Cregg, McCabe, Miele; Boyd, Shaw.
Referee: P Tuite (Dublin).