AIRTRICITY LEAGUE/Shamrock Rovers 3 Bohemians 0:HAVING ARRIVED in search of their first league win at the new home of their old rivals, Bohemians instead suffered their worst defeat to date in south west Dublin and, more remarkably given their hosts played out the last half hour or so with just 10 men on the field, their heaviest league defeat in nearly three seasons under Pat Fenlon.

The Bohemians boss might wonder whether things would have turned out any differently had he gone for a different line-up or a tactical approach that produced a little more menace up front.

But first and foremost he could have done with the players he did select, particularly the defenders, just playing a good deal better.

The back four certainly have to shoulder a good deal of the blame for the first goal, which was the result of a poor clearance then terrible marking at least as much as it was a decent cross by Thomas Stewart and a cool finish by Dan Murray. And a few of his players are likely to be asked this week to reflect on their roles in the two goals conceded while chasing what was only a single goal deficit in the wake of Pat Flynn’s dismissal 32 minutes from time.

Ultimately, the difference between the two sides was Rovers were allowed to create chances which they took while the champions, now five points behind both of their title rivals with a game in hand, created few chances and missed the target with the couple they had.

For Rovers this was a big and richly deserved win, all the more impressive given the scale of the task and journey they had undertaken in midweek. Once again Michael O’Neill shook his side up by making changes in key areas and once again he was rewarded with a play that combined energy and enterprise to good effect.

Stewart was again a key figure but Gary Twigg’s coolness as he scored the second to effectively kill off the visitors underlined his tremendous quality, while there was plenty to admire too in the composure of the back four and the sheer will to win of the team’s midfield.

“I couldn’t have hoped for any better than that really,” remarked O’Neill afterwards. “We started the game quite well and got the first goal, which was always going to be important because it would have been difficult for us to go one down and have to chase the game.

“Dan Murray had a tremendous game, I’m delighted for him but we were magnificent all over the place when we didn’t have the ball, in terms of how we worked and kept our shape.

“People don’t realise how hard it is against good players but we coped very well today. We limited them to just a few open sights of goal.”

Fenlon was disappointed, insisting the scoreline was a little harsh on his side but he didn’t quibble with the justice of the outcome.

“I thought we played all right, to be honest, and didn’t deserve to lose by three but when it happens you just have to hold your hands up. They’ve done well but bad defending as a team has cost us. We’ve given them three easy goals but we just have to move on now.

“We’ve got games against Galway and Bray (on Friday and Tuesday week) now and if win them we could be right back in it. The lads now have to figure out whether they want it enough but I’m confident that they’ll come to the right conclusion, I know the sort of lads that I have here.”

Fenlon’s side started brightly enough here thanks to the threat posed by Gareth McGlynn’s movement between midfield and Paddy Madden. The young striker, strongly linked with a move to Celtic this week, again struggled in the lone striker’s role, however, and the hosts were able to get enough bodies behind the ball to contain their opponents.

Midway though the first half, though, there was the first concrete sign the Bohemians back four was having an off-day with Owen Heary’s attempted clearance flying straight to Stewart who promptly set up an unmarked Murray for the goal.

Bohemians just about edged the midfield battle that followed but never really found a way of breaking down what lay beyond.

Killian Brennan hit the crossbar from distance in the first half, Madden from close range in the second, but Alan Mannus never actually had to make a save of note and even after Flynn got himself sent off rather foolishly, there was no great sense the champions were going to get something out of the game.

Their chances looked a good deal more remote when, five minutes after the sending off, Aidan Price hit a long ball upfield for Twigg to chase down and the striker ran Ken Oman a little ragged before beating Barry Murphy from just inside the area.

Billy Dennehy then started the fans’ party in earnest by grabbing a third four minutes from time after more good work by Stewart.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Flynn, Murray, Price, Stevens; Kavanagh (Sives, 61 mins), Rice, Bradley (Chambers, 52 mins), Bayly, Stewart; Twigg (Dennehy, 78 mins).

BOHEMIANS: Murphy; Shelley, Heary, Oman, Rossiter (Cretaro, 73 mins); Brennan, Cronin (Higgins, 63 mins), Keegan, Quigley; McGlynn (Byrne, 63 mins); Madden.

Referee: D McKeon (Dublin).