Shelbourne 1
Bohemians 1
THIS WAS A draw that could have consequences.
How great will be known at the end of the season.
Shelbourne have relinquished top spot in the Premier Division for the first time since the start of March while Bohemians will savour a valuable point at the end of a turbulent week.
Danny Grant’s opener was cancelled out by Ali Coote in a whirlwind 60-second spell early in the first half.
There was no separating the sides in this Dublin derby from that point on but then the league table shows both are fighting very different battles.
Damien Duff’s side now trail Derry City on goal difference – both on 49 points – but they do have a game in hand in the run in.
It’s all about points from here on in.
“You’re gonna win f*** all,” the away fans sang.
Some might have even added “We are staying up” given they’re five clear of the bottom.
Bohs should have been ahead after just six minutes when Dayle Rooney slipped James Akintunde in on goal down the right side of the box.
The striker’s first touch was perfect and teed him up for the shot across goal, but it flashed by the far post as the visitors were denied the perfect start.
It would have been just the tonic required after their dismal FAI Cup showing against Kerry FC last weekend.
The progressed against the First Division club, just about after penalty kicks, and needed a response.
Manager Alan Reynolds spoke in the build up about sticking together and coming through this period with unity.
On 12 minutes they weren’t looking like empty words when Grant did superbly to work space in the box to shoot after sharp link up with Paddy Kirk down the left.
He sold Mark Coyle a dummy that the Shels captain bought far too easily.
Then he made the most of a two for one offer when the Bohs winger almost sent Paddy Barrett onto the banks of the River Tolka with another feint.
The low shot wasn’t in the corner but it had enough pace to plop up off the big toe of goalkeeper Conor Kearns into the roof of the net.
They celebrated as one and then got together in a huddle to regain focus.
It didn’t last.
Within two minutes Shels were level and while the manner of how the equaliser was created contrasted with the finesse of the opener, it was just as impressive in its execution.
Kearns’ drilled ball forward from the box wasn’t dealt with by a flimsy hook clear from right back Liam Smith.
Coote reacted to the opportunity and took control of the ball 25 yards from goal.
Bohs goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka was stranded having left his area to try and clear the initial danger.
Coote produced a deftly weighted shot that seemed to hang in the air long enough that it seemed as though it was either going over the bar or would be cleared by the retreating Leigh Kavanagh.
But the centre back made it back to the line just in time to see the ball drop into the net.
There were 14 minutes gone and both teams were feeling confident.
Kearns fumbled a deep Rooney cross in the box and then fell to allow Bohs another sight of goal. Akintunde couldn’t get a shot away and his tee up for Rooney had too much on it to let him strike first time. By the time he could feed the ball wide to Grant the chance was gone and his shot was high and wide.
Duff spoke previously about his players being nervous and tentative in their play when Derry came here and drew.
A golden chance for Matty Smith right on the stroke of half time illustrated it was still there, his finish after being put through down the right – similar to Akintunde earlier but slightly more central – tame and easily saved.
Bohs took the initative after the break and but for Paddy Barrett recovering quickly on 55 minutes Grant would have been slotting into an empty net.
Kearns raced from his goal to clear a through ball on the left. Grant jinked by the challenge with the ball but the Shels centre back had read the the direction and saved his keeper’s blushes.
Bohs showed their threat with set-pieces too, Kavanagh firing a goal-bound shot that needed to be blocked and substitute Filip Piszczek glancing a near-post header from Rooney’s corner that looked destined to find its way in before Kearns made a sharp reaction save.
There were 10 minutes to play and plenty on the line.
Both managers made a slew of subs and Reynolds’s almost combined with four minutes to go when a James Clarke header at the back post was palmed into the direction of Piszczek.
His effort was smothered by Kearns and the derby stayed in the balance.
“Derry, Derry top of the league,” Bohs fans sang after full time.
A strange kind of glory at the end of this Dublin derby
Shelbourne: Kearns; Gannon (Bone 86), Barrett, Griffin, Wilson; Coote (Burt 66), Coyle (captain) (Tulloch 86), Lunney, Wood (E Caffrey 66); O’Brien, Smith (Martin 74).
Bohemians: Chorazka; Smith, Byrne, Kavanagh, Kirk; Rooney, Tierney, Devoy, McDonnell (Clarke 81), Grant; Akintunde (Piszczek 73.
