Paul Buttner reports from Tallaght Stadium
GRAHAM BURKE celebrated turning 31 last Saturday with a cracking late winner to maintain life in Shamrock Rovers’ title challenge.
Stephen Bradley’s champions put their frustration of Friday’s late concession of a most contentious penalty at Derry City behind them to eventually break down their arch-rivals at Tallaght Stadium.
The result avenged two successive defeats to Bohemians, including being dumped out of the FAI Cup, to move Rovers to within a point of Derry and four off leaders Shelbourne, if with a game more played.
With Drogheda United playing out a scoreless draw at home to Galway United, Bohemians, with just that Rovers win from their last 14 league games, continue to look anxiously over their shoulder at the other end of the table. Alan Reynolds’ Gypsies are four points ahead of the Louth side in the relegation play-off place.
In two changes from their acrimonious setback at Derry, wingback Trevor Clarke and Darragh Burns came into the Hoops side for Josh Honohan and Neil Farrugia who both dropped to the bench.
With skipper Jordan Flores suspended, Adam McDonnell returned to captain Bohs in the middle of the park. Paddy Kirk came back in at left-back while Jevon Mills replaced the injured Liam Kavanagh in central defence.
A fiery start saw Bohs’ Dawson Devoy yellow-carded for a foul on Danny Mandroiu after just 17 seconds.
Some finish 😍 pic.twitter.com/FENYSd4d1G
— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) September 23, 2024
The visitors then had a right let off on three minutes when Rovers wasted a glorious opening to take the lead.
Jack Byrne sent Clarke clear on the left. And though Johnny Kenny completely missed the cross, it ran for Burns at the back post who inexplicably shot against a post with the ball coming back into the grateful arms of goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka.
An injury to the luckless Clarke forced Rovers into a change after just 11 minutes with Honohan coming into the fray in a straight swap at left wingback.
Having struggled initially to get the ball, Bohs played their way into the game to enjoy a spell of possession. Rovers, however, soon regained control and began to create further openings.
Mandroiu, himself booked for a trip on Dayle Rooney, was central to the game’s first real chance on 24 minutes.
Controlling a pass on his chest, the midfielder spun and arrowed a perfectly weighted ball through for the run of Kenny.
Chorazka narrowed the angle well to get a fingertip to the ball and turn the chip out for Hoops’ second corner of the night.
Minutes later, clever play by Mandroiu — whose swivel outfoxed Mills — opened Bohs up again. Kenny collected the pass and turned well only to rifle over the crossbar.
Rovers had defending to do on 34 minutes, though, when Bohs countered down the left.
Danny Grant did well initially in stretching the home defence, but just couldn’t get his pass to Ross Tierney, who was unmarked in the area as Rovers scrambled clear.
If that was a let-off for Rovers, Bohs escaped on the double inside a minute.
Chorazka first produced the save of the half to get down to parry away a stinging first-time drive from Gary O’Neill after Mills’ clearance went straight to him.
Kenny then galloped in behind onto Byrne’s clever ball over the top. And though he left Mills in his wake, the striker scuffed his shot wastefully wide with only Chorazka to beat.
Bohs had the first sight of goal on the resumption, Devoy shooting just over when picked out in a pocket of space by Grant.
Rovers very much maintained the upper hand, if labouring to manufacture openings, with manager Bradley introducing Farrugia and Burke in trying to spark his side to life in the final third to add to their dominance of the ball.
Attacking the south stand full of their ultras, Rovers were having to work hard to test Chorazka again as Bohemians kept their shape well in defending tenaciously.
Test Chorazka they finally did on 79 minutes, the keeper doing well to push Burke’s powerful free-kick round a post.
But Burke wasn’t to be denied as he soon found a way to goal to deservedly win it for Rovers five minutes later.
Farrugia did well on the right to hold off Paddy Kirk and cross.
Dylan Watts laid the ball into the path of Burke who drilled to the net first time from the edge of the area for a big fourth league goal of the season.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary, Lopes, Grace; Burns (Farrugia, 60), O’Neill, Watts (Nugent, 87), Mandroiu, Clarke (Honohan, 11); Byrne (Burke, 60); Kenny (McNulty, 87).
Bohemians: Chorazka; Smith, Byrne, Mills, Kirk; Tierney, Devoy (Okonsun, 87); Grant (McDaid, 62), McDonnell (B. McManus, 71), Rooney (Akintunde, 72); Meekison (Greive, 62).
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Clare).
Written by Paul Buttner and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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