Graham Cummins: I thought Cork derby was big but joining Shamrock Rovers opened my eyes

Shamrock Rovers' Graham Burke scores the winning goal in the 2019 derby at Tallaght. Picture: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

The meeting of Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers is the standout fixture in the FAI Cup second round this weekend. It’s the biggest derby in Irish football.

Yes, many other supporters will feel that their club’s derby is bigger, but until you’re involved in the fixture, you can’t realise just how much rivalry there is between the clubs.

Before signing on loan for Rovers in 2019, I always had an interest in their clashes with Bohs but never paid too much attention. Being from Cork, I always felt the Cork derby was more important than the clash between the two Dublin sides, but I soon realised the reality.

Forget the old cliché of treating every game the same. When it comes to certain fixtures, managers change their approach.

Before my first Dublin derby, Bohs had a physiological advantage over Rovers. Keith Long’s side were eight games unbeaten against Stephen Bradley’s men and I could tell that my teammates felt that winless run was a major issue. I even felt that the hoodoo Bohs had over Rovers was holding the Hoops back from reaching that next level we see them at today.

They were more obsessed with getting that victory over the Gypsies than focusing on winning a league title. That 1-0 victory for Rovers over Bohs at Tallaght Stadium in September 2019, when Graham Burke scored, was a huge turning point for this Rovers team, and the buildup to that match was not our usual routine.

At most clubs I’ve been at, the training session the day before the game is always similar. It usual consists of the team meeting, which is just video analysis. Once that ends and we are on the pitch, the training session follows a predictable pattern; same warm-up, rondos (little possession boxes), a 5-a-side, team shape, and finally finish with set pieces.

I can vividly remember the team meeting being different that day. Yes, there was video analysis but there was also an audio clip played of Bohs keeper James Talbot gloating and taunting in an interview he had done after Bohs had beaten Rovers in a previous game.

I can understand why Bradley played that clip because he believed it would motivate the players. For me, I hadn’t been part of that game, and not being from Dublin, I wasn’t too concerned about a Bohs player boasting that they had defeated Rovers. I always felt that managers should stick to the same routine no matter who the opponents are. But I can’t argue with the results Bradley got from his special preparation for that game.

Managers can be extremely superstitious. Win a game and they will try and replicate the same routines in training the following week. Lose and they will likely blame some part of the week’s preparation. I’m a creature of habit. I don’t think changing from a hop to skip is going to have much impact on the outcome of a match.

I was taken aback by the atmosphere in Tallaght that night — the best I had ever witnessed in the league. I say ‘witnessed’ because I sat on the bench for the entire game.

It is a shame there won’t be a full house at Dalymount Park on Sunday. Dalymount is such a difficult place to go and the Bohs supporters do create an intimidating atmosphere. I didn’t enjoy playing there because of how dilapidated the stadium is and the hills in both six-yard boxes are off-putting. The away dressing rooms are a tiny portable building that struggle to fit every player.

I found it quite amusing that for non-televised games — when the two teams didn’t have to walk out alongside each other — that the away team simply went out at the corner of the pitch. But for televised games, as the away team we were lining up in the club bar before going out of the tunnel. It was strange just standing in the bar waiting to play in a big match and having people around you enjoying their pints and crisps.

It's been two weeks since Bohs’ last competitive fixture, whereas Rovers are in action Thursday night in their Europa Conference game against FC Flora.

You could argue that the Gypsies will be fresher going into the match but they could also be rusty for not having a played over such a lengthy spell. Rovers might be a bit jaded after their European exploits but at least their were at home last night and avoided the travel element that would have brought added fatigue. In any case, Rovers have a squad capable of dealing with two games in four days.

It’s a big one for both teams. Bohs need to start filling their trophy cabinet again and Rovers need to win a double to be considered one of the great teams.