Bohemian Football Club Crest

Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers played out a closely-fought derby that was destined to end in stalemate.

The nearest either came to scoring was when substitute Dessie Baker’s shot clattered the bar with 10 minutes remaining.

The first half was a scrappy affair but the game improved after the break. The arrival of a goal looked likely in the final minutes as the contest became increasingly stretched. Barry Murphy had to be at his best to deny Chris Turner a goal at his old club in stoppage time. The Gypsies will be frustrated not to have gotten one over on their old rivals who left happy with a point. There were scuffles at the final whistle and in the post-match warm-down but nothing to be too worried about, just a few players letting off steam.

Rovers had been in good form of late, winning three of their past four league matches prior to this. It would have been four from four had the Bohemians’ legend, Glen Crowe, not popped up with a brilliant leveller for Sporting Fingal in Tallaght.

This fixture, which has been in existence for nearly a century, traditionally attracted large attendances. Today, a considerable travelling contingent occupied the area opposite an almost full Jodi Stand. The club captain, Owen Heary, unfortunately missed this game with a calf injury. Rovers’ talismanic forward, Gary Twigg, was absent as he was off and about getting married.

With Twigg away the manager, Michael O’Neill, set up his team with a 4-5-1 formation headed by Thomas Stewart. Bohemians’ manager Pat Fenlon played Mark Quigley up front alongside Jason Byrne in a 4-4-2 system.

Some nice early link-up play by the visitors culminated in the midfielder, James Chambers, hitting a decent volley that flew wide via a deflection off Ken Oman. Bohemians didn’t get forward much in those early stages to put pressure on Alan Mannus’s goal. When Rovers’ wide men, Danny Murphy and Seán O’Connor, did get into attacking positions, few players were committing themselves into the box to get on the end of their crosses.

Killian Brennan’s excellent deliveries, from set-pieces and open play, were Rovers’ main cause for concern. When one was only partially cleared to Mark Quigley on 35 minutes, he showed fine technique with a powerful volley goalkeeper Mannus had to beat away. Stewart, the Tallaght side’s lone striker, had become increasingly isolated as his team-mates sat deeper. Quigley’s shot had been the sole effort on target in that opening 45.

The greasy playing surface after a night of a rain made for good playing conditions but the cagey nature of a derby match so often takes over. Quigley produced a fine run along the left flank until being cynically taken down by the full-back, Pat Flynn, the first booking of the game on the hour mark. A sign this game was played in an excellent spirit. Killian Brennan, unusually, was on the end of a set piece on 61 minutes, heading Paul Keegan’s free straight at Mannus. It was a very good chance for the former Dublin City player.

Mark Rossiter nearly had the ball in the Rovers’ net until it was touched over by a defender before he was substituted for Anto Murphy. Brennan seemed the most likely source of a goal as his bicycle-kick from Keegan’s corner was again directly at Mannus.

The Hoops went desperately to taking the lead with 10 minutes to go when substitute Dessie Baker hit the bar when his shot deflected up off Oman’s back. Baker had been the beneficiary of a brilliant pass from Flynn on the right flank. Murphy produced a vital save at the death to deny Chris Turner as both sides had to settle for a draw.

Bohemians: B Murphy; Shelley, Oman, McGuinness, Powell; Rossiter (A Murphy, 66), Keegan, (C), Cronin, Brennan; Quigley, J Byrne (Madden, 84)

Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Flynn, Sives, Murray (C), D Murphy; Chambers (Baker, 72), Rice, Bayly, Dennehy (Turner, 62), O’Connor; Stewart,

Possession: Bohs: 51% Rovers: 49%

Attempts on target: Bohs: 4 Rovers: 3

Attempts off target: Bohs: 2 Rovers: 2

Corners: Bohs: 3 Rovers: 6

Bookings: Bohs: Jason McGuinness, Killian Brennan, Glenn Cronin

Rovers: Pat Flynn, Seán O’Connor

Sent off: Bohs: None Rovers: None

Referee: Dave McKeon (Dublin)