Bohemians 1 Shamrock Rovers 0:THE DOGS in the street have it that the FAI want these two to meet in the cup final next month and if you were judging solely on this game, one widely billed in advance as this year's league decider, it would be hard to argue with the choice.
Last night’s encounter had just about everything you could reasonably ask of a game carrying so much significance to both sides and if the narrow Bohemians win means that it did quite the opposite of sorting out the destiny of this year’s championship then it’s safe to assume that those who witnessed it were left with a healthy appetite for a slightly extended title race.
Rovers still hold a significant advantage over their rivals with three games to play and while you could argue about the relative challenges that still await the two contenders, given the shifting form of those behind them, their two-point lead still entitles Michael O’Neill’s side to regard themselves as favourites. Their biggest problem last night, however, was that they came up against a team that clearly still see themselves as champions and Jason Byrne’s first-half strike means it is still possible for them to achieve that goal.
“I’m pleased because it tightens it, but it’s still Rovers’ to lose,” said Pat Fenlon not long after he appeared to have been hit by a missile thrown from a section of the Rovers’ fans at the final whistle.
“I thought that in the first half we were excellent, we passed the ball really well. We knew that we were going to be under a good bit of pressure in the second, that they’d throw the kitchen sink at us and they had a few decent chances, but we got bodies in the way when it mattered.
“We have to go to Inchicore and win on Saturday now. They’re another team we haven’t beaten this season, but we’ve put one right tonight; hopefully we can put that one right at the weekend.”
Ken Oman expressed the hope that the increased pressure on Rovers would take its toll over the remaining games and Michael O’Neill admitted that his team’s recent form, three defeats in their last four league games, urgently needs to be addressed.
“I’m not looking at the finishing line right now,” he said. “I’m just trying to get running again. We didn’t play well enough in the first half tonight and I don’t think you can start games that way and then hope to fight your way back into them against a team like Bohemians because they have a lot of experience and they made that experience tell tonight.
“I thought we were a lot better in the second half, but I don’t think we have too many complaints. There was definitely a bit of nervousness and we can’t afford to have that in our game over the next few weeks. The important thing, though, is that it’s still in our hands.”
Bohemians certainly made life difficult for his men last night, looking a little more determined to win every ball, a little better able to put it to good use once it had been secured. True, it took them a while to generate what might be described as a half-decent chance on goal but Byrne certainly finished very well 20 minutes in after good work by Glen Cronin and Oman to end a barren spell for Bohemians lasting almost six games against their rivals.
The striker eventually limped out of the game with a calf problem and may yet miss Saturday’s game, but while he was on, he and striking partner Rafaelle Cretaro were vastly more involved than Rovers’ lone striker, Gary Twigg, who scarcely got a meaningful touch prior to the break.
That was to change, though, as the balance of things shifted considerably in the second half. With Paddy Kavanagh replaced by Thomas Stewart at the break, Rovers started to make a contest of it and after a quick run of chances for Twigg that were only kept out thanks to some frantic defending, the contest entered a new, no less entertaining, phase during which Rovers were obliged to steadily increase their commitment to the search for an equaliser while Bohemians, now a good deal less rampant, defended their lead while keeping an eye out for a chance to break for their second.
Neale Fenn and Dessie Baker came on as O’Neill continued to reshape and bolster his attack and in between the two substitutions Twigg looked to have a decent shout for a penalty as Brian Shelley restricted the striker’s movement with a raised arm as the ball flew into the box.
Late on, though, the current champions might have had their second when Paddy Madden misfired badly following good work by Aaron Greene.
It mattered little to the home fans who gleefully taunted their disappointed rivals.
BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Rossiter, Shelley, Oman, Powell; Brennan, Keegan, Cronin, McGlynn; Byrne (Madden, 35 mins), Cretaro (Greene 86 mins).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Flynn, Sives, Price, Stevens; Kavanagh (Stewart, half-time), Chambers (Fenn, 69 mins), Rice, Turner, Dennehy (Baker, 79 mins); Twigg.
Referee:Alan Kelly (Cork)
Attendance3,400
