Bohs stun Shamrock Rovers with dramatic 96th minute winner
Rhys Brennan showed composure beyond his years to score the winner for Bohs in their Dublin Derby against Shamrock Rovers. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Bohemians came from behind to snatch all three points in the most dramatic of circumstances to make it two wins over their old enemy this season, and in doing so ended their year-long wait for back-to-back wins.
Josh Honohan’s breakthrough just before the break was quickly followed by a sensational solo goal from Michael Noonan to put The Hoops in cruise control at the break.
But a rallying second half performance from Bohs saw Dawson Devoy and Ross Tierney level before Rhys Brennan proved the hero with a 96th minute winner.
"Unbelievable, I think it was unbelievable." said Bohs boss Alan Reynolds. "I even thought in the first half we started well for 30 minutes, it was okay then. Then they showed their quality and got two. But at half-time we changed something, shape-wise but you’re hoping the lads will believe you, you’ll get one goal and it changes.
"I felt after 55 minutes, it started to swing. We started to get control of the game and obviously got the goal at the right time with Dawson, an outstanding goal. We looked fit, we looked strong, when we got to 2-2, you’re probably thinking take the draw and get out of here but Rhys Brennan comes up with a great goal at the end."
It's fair to say since the opening day win at the Aviva Stadium, both teams' trajectory had gone in different directions. Bohs' early season optimism faded, winning just three times in the next nine, whilst Rovers showed glimpses of being back to their ominous best and at the heart of everything again, starting his third game in a week, Jack Byrne drilled a low strike straight at Kacper Chorazka.
But as the old saying goes, form tends to go out the window and the visitors really should have gone ahead early on. From a recycled corner kick matchwinner on the opening day, Ross Tierney, flashed the ball invitingly across the face of goal, but unfortunately for the vociferous travelling support, stand-in striker James Clarke was millimetres away from opening the scoring.
It was fairly nip and tuck from then on, that was until midway through the first half when Josh Honohan took it upon himself to burst down the left in marauding fashion before cutting inside on to his right and unleashing a thunderbolt that cannoned off the far post and away to safety.
Having failed to heed the Honohan warning Bohs were behind just six minutes from the break when the wing back again cut inside, unchallenged but this time reversed the ball low past the helpless Chorazka.
The visitors defensive apathy was once again displayed for all to see when just two minutes after conceding, teen sensation Michael Noonan was allowed to travel three quarters of the pitch and finish expertly from the edge of the area for his first League goal, and what a way to get it.
Bohs initially failed to build ahead of steam after the break, with the “Ole’s” sounding around Tallaght with every Hoops pass, and this before the hour mark.
The hosts were in cruise control until Dawson Devoy halved the deficit with a brilliantly taken finish from inside the area, following some pinball around the box and suddenly it was game on again.
The home fans were stunned into silence when, with 10 minutes to go, Tierney levelled, following a tidy move involving Leigh Kavanagh and a clever around-the-corner lay off by Colm Whelan.
As the clock ticked over into the last minute of added time, Rhys Brennan latched onto another excellent Whelan pass, and having seen his first effort saved, showed composure beyond his years to cut back inside and send the ball past Ed McGinty to earn his side a big three points.
“We need to address it," said Rovers boss Stephen Bradley of defensive lapses. "We cannot pretend it didn't happen. We were winning with four minutes left on Friday and (today) we were 2-0 up, looking comfortable. On Friday and today, decisions in possession and really basic defensive decisions. We have not made those decisions in really high pressure games. We cannot do that.
“It is not just the defenders. We are all accountable, players and staff. We need to understand what we did wrong and why it went wrong, making basic errors in the second half.The goals were so soft. It cannot happen."
Ed McGinty; Dan Cleary, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace; Adam Matthews (Danny Grant, 85’), Dylan Watts (John O’Sullivan, 85’), Matt Healy, Jack Byrne (Darragh Nugent, 72’), Joshua Honohan; Aaron Green (Graham Burke, 72’), Michael Noonan (Rory Gaffney, 79’)
Kacper Chorazka; John Mountney (Colm Whelan, 67’), Sean Grehan, Leigh Kavanagh, Jordan Flores; Dawson Devoy, James McManus (Niall Morahan, 46’); Connor Parsons (Rhys Brennan, 52’) Ross Tierney (Adam McDonnell, 89’), Dayle Rooney; James Clarke (Keith Buckley, 67’)
Rob Harvey (Dublin)
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