Shamrock Rovers' title party on hold despite derby victory over Bohemians

Bohemians had become the Hoops’ bogey team – inflicting three of their four defeats this season – but they were finally slayed to extend the lead at the summit to 12 points with four games remaining.

ONE MORE POINT: Shamrock Rovers’ manager Stephen Bradley celebrates winning. Pic: ©INPHO/James Crombie.

SHAMROCK ROVERS 2 (Graham Burke 11, Danny Mandroiu 51)

BOHEMIANS 1 (James Clarke 40)

Their quest to reclaim the title for Shamrock Rovers began with a bump against Bohemians but reversing that result completed their mission with a bang.

Bohemians had become the Hoops’ bogey team – inflicting three of their four defeats this season – but they were finally slayed to extend the lead at the summit to 12 points.

That’s all Derry City can accumulate in the run-in and given the goal difference superiority of 17, the fifth title in six years is virtually theirs.

Goals by Graham Burke and former Bohs player Danny Mandroiu, either side of James Clarke’s equaliser, did the job on an electric night at Tallaght.

Such is the depth of their squad that Stephen Bradley can rotate without disrupting their rhythm.

Although next Thursday’s trip to Sparta Prague starts a six-game Conference League campaign through the winter, the priority was to ensure they begin next season’s European journey in the Champions League.

That approach ensured Burke was the centrepiece of their attack.

He turned 32 this week but illustrated his longevity with a performance oozing class.

It wasn’t solely his opener, a trademark Burke precise drive in off the post, but the attacker’s all-round contribution over his 82 minutes which had Bohemians scrambling to curb his impact.

Dawson Devoy has been tipped to replicate Burke’s feat of being capped while operating domestically but the breakthrough on 11 minutes proved the defensive aspect of his game still needs sharpening.

As one of the midfield pivots, he was responsible for monitoring Burke’s roaming in between the lines.

Yet once he was caught too far advanced when Burke received a pass into feet, he was exposed.

Through the centre of the pitch, the Rovers raider dribbled towards goal, dropping his shoulder to sidestep Jubril Okedina's attempt to block his sight.

One shimmy onto his left side enabled Burke to angle his 20-yarder expertly beyond Kacper Chorazka with deadly accuracy.

Okedina careered into the back of Burke in the next passage of play, a belated form of rearguard action but Bohs were second best for the opening quarter hour.

Danny Grant became the latest Bohs player to cross the Dublin divide this season and the 1200 visiting fans among the 9,522 was able to vent their flak where he was stationed in the first half.

His pace presented a different dimension to Rovers this year and he combined with his opposite wingback on 22 minutes to create another opening.

A crossfield pass fell perfectly for the Corkman to cut inside onto his right foot and force Chorazka to parry his shot.

It was all one direction but Bohs invested in the summer acquisition of Douglas James-Taylor to punish blemishes like the one he was gifted inside the Rovers box.

Fortunately, Pico Lopes – fresh from putting Cape Verde on the brink of World Cup qualification – slid across to smother the threat.

Chorazka’s strategic injury afforded Alan Reynolds an opportunity to gather his players for a reset and it worked as Ross Tierney, back in the side after injury, tested Ed McGinty for the first time on 34 minutes. From the loose ball, James Clarke flashed his curler a yard wide of the far post.

Gaps were there for Bohs to exploit and they foraged the equaliser five minutes before the break. A surge into enemy territory by Jordes Flores led to him teeing up Dayle Rooney to cross and from his first-time delivery, Clarke arrived on cue to plant his header high into the net.

Rooney then had a shot blocked as Bohs sensed blood, convincing Reynolds to beckon his players swiftly in the dressing-room at the interval.

It was Rovers who reacted best from the restart, with Rory Gaffney’s instant header batted away.

Six minutes later and the goal that clinched the title was mined. Honohan’s charge from the halfway line took him past a couple of defenders but instead of shooting, he back-flicked the ball into the path of Mandroiu.

With similar execution to Burke, he bent a first-time shot from the edge of the area that rippled the net.

If Bohs could equalise once, another was possible. McGinty’s inexplicable error with 20 minutes left handed Clarke a sight of a second but his lob veered marginally wide.

Two penalty claims were rejected, the first justifiably for a dive that earned James-Taylor a booking, but sub Connor Parsons seemed to be clipped for his incident.

One stoppage-time chance fell to unmarked sub Colm Whelan, who headed wide, but Rovers too had their chances, especially through Burke.

Two was sufficient in the end, sparking celebrations led by Bradley.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: E McGinty; D Cleary, R Lopes, C O’Sullivan; D Grant (A Matthews 88), D Watts (A McEneff 83), M Healy, J Honohan; D Mandroiu, G Burke (D Nugent 82); R Gaffney (M Noonan 63).

BOHEMIANS: K Chorazka; N Morahan, J Okedina (R Cornwall 67), C Byrne (C Whelan 86), J Flores; A Meekison (A McDonnell 67), D Devoy; R Tierney (C Parsons 67), J Clarke, D Rooney; D James-Taylor.

Referee: Paul Norton (Dublin).

Attendance: 9522.