THE match programme will declare peace and goodwill between the two clubs, and both managers yesterday played down any sense of residual bad feeling between them. Yet no matter what way you look at it, tomorrow's summit meeting between Bohemians and Derry City is not only the most important game of the season, but something of a grudge match as well.
This reporter can still recall the look of bewilderment and resentment on the faces of the Bohemians players as they left the Brandywell on December 22nd, beaten when reduced to 10 men by the pivotal halftime sending off of defender James Coll as well as Derry City manger Felix Healy. Bohemians manager Turlough O'Connor was shaking with anger.
Coll is hardly going to be able to treat this as "just another game". The two managers could probably content themselves with a prematch talk of "good luck". No motivation required for this one. Then again, none would have been required, for such is the importance of this game that Derry can go 11 points clear with seven games to go, and effectively win the league, or Bohemians can reduce the gap to five points, and thereby give themselves more than a glimmer of light.
O'Connor says Bohemians will "be going for a win, as we do in all our home games," and he maintains "the past is the past. In sport, as in life, you have to let bygones be bygones and just get on with it. Healy more or less concurs, saying that "things are said in the heat of the moment that are quickly forgotten".
Both managers also pointed out that, in spite of the half time kerfuffle, there was hardly a bad tackle in the second half at the Brandywell. Furthermore, only UCD stand above these two clubs in the Premier Division's Fair Play table, so it is by no means inconceivable that the game will be relatively free of incident.
Meanwhile Shelbourne, three points adrift of Bohemians with a game in hand, hover in the wings, knowing that a victory in Cork tomorrow afternoon might give their title prospects a recuperative shot in the arm. As Damien Richardson points out: "This could be, indeed probably is, the most important week of the season."
Sadly, several players will miss out on the Dalymount head to head for a variety of reasons. Bohemians boast the best XI watching from the stands at any venue this season but will be encouraged by the anticipated return of Dave Henderson, Tommy Byrne, Derek McGrath and Tommy Gaynor.
Derry's injury worries are comparatively slight yet, conversely, potentially more damaging, for the injured Peter Hutton has been the heartbeat of their team.
One recalls the teams opening joust of the season when Hutton made more runs in the final 10 minutes of the match than any other midfielder in the domestic game would be capable of and was ultimately rewarded with the last minute equaliser, which now looks even more valuable than it did then.
Time was when the peerless Liam Coyle either flicked the ball on first time with effortless precision and control, or else caressed the ball to stillness with his first touch and invariably looked for the overlapping Pascal Vaudequin, or if not then the strong running Hutton. Without either, it is hard to envisage who is going to be making those runs past Coyle to give him a target.
The onus is on Bohemians to go for the jugular. This is not normally their strongest suit, though they will surely never be so inspired for a game as for this one. It should be interesting.
