THE DUBLIN DERBY is full of sound and fury, signifying….everything.
Tonight was a tale told by Rory Gaffney, whose goal midway through the first half settled a full-blooded, sold-out clash at Tallaght.
Bohemians showed plenty of encouraging signs but lacked Promise: striker Omochere was suspended and without him their attack didn’t have a focal point, thus their dominance of vast chunks of the second half went unrewarded. Rovers, though, were handsomely remunerated: top spot and the first derby spoils of the season.
This is a historic fixture but the Bohs fans sought reference further back, unfurling a banner reading Death to Every Foe and Traitor ahead of kick-off, from a song commemorating the United Irishman, 1798 and all that. Talk about setting the (Wolfe) Tone.
One hoped it wasn’t targeted at Andy Lyons, lining out against Bohs for the first time since his off-season, cross-Liffey transfer. Danny Mandroiu has been a target of Bohs ire in recent stagings of this fixture but tonight he started on the bench, overlooked in favour of Graham Burke.
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Bohs fans let off flares ahead of kick off. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
Burke started slightly further forward – Rovers played Byrne behind Burke and Rory Gaffney, flipping the usual attacking triangle – and it signalled an intent Rovers began with. Gaffney bustled Ciaran Kelly off the ball in the early minutes, but sent his delicate dinked shot over James Talbot but across the goal.
Bohs, meanwhile, were terribly disjointed, their play frequently breaking down with a series of flung arms and exasperated roars. Twice Ryan Cassidy dropped off for the ball to feet, and twice Kris Twardek sent the ball arcing over his head. Twice Cassidy vented his fury.
Meanwhile, Rovers’ slickly got on with the business of scoring. Ronan Finn and Burke swapped passes in a neat move before Finn sent a low cross skidding across the penalty area. Kelly could only kill the ball dead, allowing Gaffney to rifle the ball beyond Talbot.
Minutes later it might have been worse: Talbot spilled another low cross into the box but Kelly hacked the ball clear in a panic. Soon Bohs were indebted to their goalkeeper: another deft Rovers move on the edge of the box saw Dylan Watts’ shot deflect perfectly into the path of Gaffney, whose header from point-blank range was pushed away by Talbot. Gaffney looked at the linesman for exculpation, but it wasn’t coming. He was penalised for a subsequent handball, rather than a preceding offside.
Bohs, damaged but not broken, finally began to find some fluency in the last 15 minutes of the first half, as Dawson Devoy gripped midfield. Cassidy sent a glancing header narrowly wide of Alan Mannus’ far post, while Twardek didn’t react in time when Roberto Lopes misjudged a cross and allowed the ball fly to the back post.
Rory Gaffney is congratulated on scoring the decisive goal. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
Their improvement was then leavened with grievance. Quarterbacking by dropping into a pocket deep in midfield, Devoy flighted an audacious pass behind the Rovers defence for Twardek, who had sprung a surprise and pulled goalside of Lee Grace. The pair tangled and Twardek fell to ground in the box, but referee Rob Hennessy waved play on.
Keith Long looked to the heavens in a mingling of fury and disbelief.
Bohs’ momentum rolled through the break and they pinned Rovers back in the second half. Rory Feely saw a half-volley fly wide of the post when a corner broke his way, while Stephen Mallon saw his cross from the right flank kiss the crossbar before bouncing to safety.
Long swapped striker Cassidy for the returning Liam Burt and Bohs maintained their pressure, albeit without Omochere they were left living off scraps. One such scrap broke in the box for Twardek when Lopes mistimed a header, but substitute Barry Cotter bailed out his side by throwing himself from the six-yard and at the shot.
Ultimately it was rovers who should have scored the game’s second goal: as the clock ticked toward 90 minutes, Mandroiu poked wide from the six-yard box after some chaotic pinball from a corner, while moments later he shot tamely when one-on-one with Talbot.
It didn’t matter: Bohs’ challenge fizzled out, and one was enough.
Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Sean Hoare, Lee Grace, Roberto Lopes; Ronan Finn (captain) (Barry Cotter, 69′); Gary O’Neill, Dylan Watts; Andy Lyons; Graham Burke (Danny Mandroiu, 69′), Jack Byrne (Richie Towell, 76′); Rory Gaffney (Aaron Greene, 66′)
Bohemians: James Talbot; Rory Feely, Ciaran Kelly, Grant Horton, Tyreke Wilson (captain); Dawson Devoy, Jordan Flores (Jordan Doherty, 76′); Kris Twardek, Ali Coote, Stephen Mallon (Jamie Mullins, 81′); Ryan Cassidy (Liam Burt, 63′)
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Rory Gaffney goal secures Dublin Derby victory for Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers 1
Bohemians 0
THE DUBLIN DERBY is full of sound and fury, signifying….everything.
Tonight was a tale told by Rory Gaffney, whose goal midway through the first half settled a full-blooded, sold-out clash at Tallaght.
Bohemians showed plenty of encouraging signs but lacked Promise: striker Omochere was suspended and without him their attack didn’t have a focal point, thus their dominance of vast chunks of the second half went unrewarded. Rovers, though, were handsomely remunerated: top spot and the first derby spoils of the season.
This is a historic fixture but the Bohs fans sought reference further back, unfurling a banner reading Death to Every Foe and Traitor ahead of kick-off, from a song commemorating the United Irishman, 1798 and all that. Talk about setting the (Wolfe) Tone.
One hoped it wasn’t targeted at Andy Lyons, lining out against Bohs for the first time since his off-season, cross-Liffey transfer. Danny Mandroiu has been a target of Bohs ire in recent stagings of this fixture but tonight he started on the bench, overlooked in favour of Graham Burke.
Burke started slightly further forward – Rovers played Byrne behind Burke and Rory Gaffney, flipping the usual attacking triangle – and it signalled an intent Rovers began with. Gaffney bustled Ciaran Kelly off the ball in the early minutes, but sent his delicate dinked shot over James Talbot but across the goal.
Bohs, meanwhile, were terribly disjointed, their play frequently breaking down with a series of flung arms and exasperated roars. Twice Ryan Cassidy dropped off for the ball to feet, and twice Kris Twardek sent the ball arcing over his head. Twice Cassidy vented his fury.
Meanwhile, Rovers’ slickly got on with the business of scoring. Ronan Finn and Burke swapped passes in a neat move before Finn sent a low cross skidding across the penalty area. Kelly could only kill the ball dead, allowing Gaffney to rifle the ball beyond Talbot.
Minutes later it might have been worse: Talbot spilled another low cross into the box but Kelly hacked the ball clear in a panic. Soon Bohs were indebted to their goalkeeper: another deft Rovers move on the edge of the box saw Dylan Watts’ shot deflect perfectly into the path of Gaffney, whose header from point-blank range was pushed away by Talbot. Gaffney looked at the linesman for exculpation, but it wasn’t coming. He was penalised for a subsequent handball, rather than a preceding offside.
Bohs, damaged but not broken, finally began to find some fluency in the last 15 minutes of the first half, as Dawson Devoy gripped midfield. Cassidy sent a glancing header narrowly wide of Alan Mannus’ far post, while Twardek didn’t react in time when Roberto Lopes misjudged a cross and allowed the ball fly to the back post.
Their improvement was then leavened with grievance. Quarterbacking by dropping into a pocket deep in midfield, Devoy flighted an audacious pass behind the Rovers defence for Twardek, who had sprung a surprise and pulled goalside of Lee Grace. The pair tangled and Twardek fell to ground in the box, but referee Rob Hennessy waved play on.
Keith Long looked to the heavens in a mingling of fury and disbelief.
Bohs’ momentum rolled through the break and they pinned Rovers back in the second half. Rory Feely saw a half-volley fly wide of the post when a corner broke his way, while Stephen Mallon saw his cross from the right flank kiss the crossbar before bouncing to safety.
Long swapped striker Cassidy for the returning Liam Burt and Bohs maintained their pressure, albeit without Omochere they were left living off scraps. One such scrap broke in the box for Twardek when Lopes mistimed a header, but substitute Barry Cotter bailed out his side by throwing himself from the six-yard and at the shot.
Ultimately it was rovers who should have scored the game’s second goal: as the clock ticked toward 90 minutes, Mandroiu poked wide from the six-yard box after some chaotic pinball from a corner, while moments later he shot tamely when one-on-one with Talbot.
It didn’t matter: Bohs’ challenge fizzled out, and one was enough.
Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Sean Hoare, Lee Grace, Roberto Lopes; Ronan Finn (captain) (Barry Cotter, 69′); Gary O’Neill, Dylan Watts; Andy Lyons; Graham Burke (Danny Mandroiu, 69′), Jack Byrne (Richie Towell, 76′); Rory Gaffney (Aaron Greene, 66′)
Bohemians: James Talbot; Rory Feely, Ciaran Kelly, Grant Horton, Tyreke Wilson (captain); Dawson Devoy, Jordan Flores (Jordan Doherty, 76′); Kris Twardek, Ali Coote, Stephen Mallon (Jamie Mullins, 81′); Ryan Cassidy (Liam Burt, 63′)
Referee: Rob Hennessy
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