Shamrock Rovers emerged victorious with a 1-0 win against Bohemians in the Premier Division of the League of Ireland, bringing them closer to a fifth back-to-back championship. Stephen Bradley’s methodical approach seems to be working, as the Rovers edge closer to outpacing Derry City and Shelbourne. The turning point of the match came with Graham Burke’s last-minute goal, an unforgettable moment that might just be instrumental in the Rovers’ aim for league dominance.
The action unfolded as the Republic of Ireland international player broke the Bohs’ strong defence. When Neil Farrugia provided an opening for Dylan Watts, he managed to set Burke up for the critical score. Despite a strong crowd of Bohemian supporters among the 6,119 spectators, the Rovers’ vital goal caused an eruption of cheers from their own fans.
Bohemians have found this season a struggle under Alan Reynolds’ leadership, despite their previous successes against the Rovers. For 83 minutes of the match, it had looked like they could salvage an important point. However, they now sit just above a relegation play-off, with a meagre lead of four points.
The match saw Rovers taking the offensive, bringing numerous opportunities for potential goals. Notably, Johnny Kenny lost out on a number of opportunities to score. An early moment in the game saw Kenny miss-foot a cross from Trevor Clarke, yet this opened up a chance for Darragh Burns. Burns’ attempt was cut short as Kacper Chorazka intervened with a standout save, holding the ball securely after a rebound off the post.
Even though Rovers had the upper hand in possession, it was Reynolds’ decision to keep Bohs striker-less that greatly assisted them. This decision resulted in every Bohs counterattack being handled by Pico Lopes or Dan Cleary, steering Archie Meekison or Danny Grant down dead-end paths – roles typically played by a number nine.
This scenario placed pressure on Danny Mandroiu to create opportunities for Kenny to score his 15th goal of the season. Mandroiu’s creativity notably surpassed his peers, including Dawson Devoy and Jack Byrne. He twice managed to navigate the ball towards Kenny’s direction, but the striker on loan from Celtic was unsuccessful in capitalising on these opportunities.
Eventually, Byrne launched a ball over Bohs defence, providing a chance for the young 21-year-old to confidently maneuver the ball with his head, however, his shot was significantly off target. It was only the second instance this year where Kenny failed to score in three consecutive matches. The dry spell is expected to be brief.
Bohs had a single opportunity to upset the champions unexpectedly, but Grant missed Ross Tierney’s late run before Rovers contrived another chance with Gary O’Neill’s long-distance shot. Devoy also attempted an audacious shot seven minutes into the second half, aiming too high over Leon Pohls crossbar.
On the stroke of the 60th minute, Bradley brought in Burke and Farrugia, replacing Burns and Byrne, and immediately enhancing his team’s attacking prowess.
In the last 20 minutes, Reynolds integrated his benched players, Alex Greive and James Akintunde, into the game. However, they barely managed to touch the ball as Burke and Farrugia controlled the game from the right.
The game’s conclusion was marked by drama. A beautifully executed free-kick by Burke was thwarted by a fantastic save from Chorazka. A following corner led to another impressive save by the Polish keeper from Josh Honohan’s header.
Another corner, another Bohs defensive action to clear the ball, but this time, Burke was prepared at the edge of the box, flawlessly hitting the ball with his left foot to secure the possibility of a consecutive five-win streak.
Despite a mediocre season, the reigning champions are now only four points behind leaders Shelbourne with just five games remaining.
The match line-ups were as follows: Shamrock Rovers sent out Pohls, Cleary, Lopes, and Grace, with Watts who was replaced by Nugent during the 87th minute; O’Neill was also on the field. Clarke went off the field for Honohan during the 11th minute while Mandroiu, Byrne – who was switched with Burke at the 60-minute mark, Burns – replaced by Farrugia concurrently, and Kenny who was switched for McNulty on the 87th minute.
As for Bohemians, they had Chorazka, Smith, Mills, Byrne, and Kirk. Tierney was in the game along with Devoy, who was substituted by Oksun in the 87th minute, and McDowell – replaced by McManus at the 71st minute. Rooney was also replaced by Akintunde during the 71st minute of play, while Meekison was switched with Grieive at 62 minutes and Grant made way for McDaid at the same time. The referee for the match was Rob Hennessy.