Everybody knows how hard it is to keep up with events at Dalymount Park these days so it's easy to have some sympathy for the editors of the Shamrock Rovers programme. It must have seemed like a nice piece they'd done about Joe McGrath and the baptism of fire he'd endured since arriving back at the Dublin club but, by the time the programmes arrived back from the printers, McGrath's baptism was not only over, his career at Bohemians had been given the last rites.
The new (old) man, Turlough O'Connor, made an immediate impression on the proceedings, with Eoin Mullen coming in for his second league start of the season and Raffaele Di Greggorio getting a feel of a National league bench for the first time but O'Connor's return might have gone better. Both sides conceded chances at an alarming rate but, with Tony O'Dowd in sparkling form for the home side, only one conceded any goals.
One way or another, McGrath's departure did seem to have an effect on the visiting players with most looking as though they'd been shown a big "look lively or you'll be next" sign before they emerged for the game. Off they went at a frantic pace, racing at the Rovers goal from every conceivable angle for the guts of the first half hour while producing precious little of consequence once they got near it.
With just four minutes played Fergal Harkin, one of the two McGrath signings to make the starting XI, put in a run down the right flank that seemed to be a sign of better things to come. But as they did throughout that early spell, the home side's defence guarded the ground between themselves and O'Dowd's goal with more than enough determination to keep the threat at bay.
As it turned out, it wasn't until just before the half-time break that Bohemians went really close to scoring. First Brian Mooney beat his man out wide and sent in a cross that, had it been a yard closer to goal, would have had Harkin, Derek Swan and Graham Lawlor squabbling over who got to bang it away. Then former Derry City goalkeeper O'Dowd reacted with stunning speed to push Shaun Maher's close range header around the right hand post.
That save ensured that Rovers went in for the break with their noses in front, Bohemians defender Donal Broughan having beaten Jason Sherlock to Brian Morrisroe's curling cross only to turn the ball in himself, 15 minutes before the break.
It wasn't long into the second period before Rovers wrapped up their first victory of the new campaign. Jason Sherlock got the game's second goal after another good save by O'Dowd, this time from Graham Lawlor, led to a quick break forward. The former UCD striker, who had been threatening to undo the Bohemians defence for a while by then, ended up one-on-one with Michael Dempsey and he finished nicely with a lob as the goalkeeper rushed forward to narrow the angle. Robbie Brunton narrowly failed to scramble across for the block on the line.
Ten minutes later it was 3-0, Broughan misjudging Billy Woods's crossfield ball, Dempsey doing the same with Tony Cousins' long range shot. Now the Rovers fans were in their element. As the first banner calling for Turlough O'Connor's second spell in the Dalymount hot seat to be ended (almost before it had even begun) was unfurled over on the Bohemians side of the ground, the home crowd were singing a very different tune.
"Turley must stay, Turley must stay," they bellowed, clearly enjoying the wake just a little more than good taste would normally allow.
Shamrock Rovers: O'Dowd; Britton, Brazil, Whelan, Tracey; O'Neill, Purdy, Colwell, Morrisroe; Cousins, Sherlock. Subs: Woods for Morrisroe (62 mins), Markey for Sherlock (85 mins).
Bohemians: Dempsey; Broughan, Maher, Mullen, Brunton; Harkin, O'Connor, Byrne, Mooney; Lawlor, Swan. Subs: De Greggorio for Maher (85 mins).
Referee: H Byrne (Dublin).
