Bohs secure fourth but need favour from Rovers to secure European place

BRACE: Bohs James Clarke scored a brace for Bohs. Picture: Ben McShane/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Drogheda 1 (Keely 33) Bohemians 4 (Clarke 20, 37, Whelan 90, Tierney 90+2)

Bohemians require a favour from their great rivals Shamrock Rovers in next week’s FAI Cup final if they are to return to the European stage in 2026 after they secured fourth place in the Premier Division with victory over Drogheda United.

St Patrick’s Athletic’s failure to beat Shelbourne meant the victor of this shoot-out of sorts by the river Boyne would move a step closer to UEFA Conference League football. Drogheda’s dreams died but Bohs’ live on courtesy of James Clarke’s double.

Colm Whelan and Ross Tierney struck in the 90th minute and injury time respectively to put a gloss on the result but the margin of victory hardly mattered. Securing European football, should it go their way, would be a remarkable end to an tumultuous season for Alan Reynolds.

The every involvement of striker Douglas James-Taylor was met with a chorus of boos from the home supporters in a sold-out Sullivan & Lambe Park. The striker was the catalyst in Drogheda’s cup victory last year but in Bohs black-and-red, he was tasked with ending their European hopes now.

Ryan Brennan sent an early header wide of the target having been picked out expertly by James Bolger. At the other end, Tierney forced a save from Luke Dennison.

It wasn’t James-Taylor but another former United favourite who handed the visitors the lead. Clarke’s 27th minute goal was the Gypsies’ first against Drogheda in 14 months. He controlled the ball outside the area and darted around Bolger before firing a low shot across the goalkeeper and into the net.

There was major controversy in the 33rd minute when referee Paul Norton opted not to card John Mountney for a foul on Conor Kane. The veteran right back had already been booked in the second minute for a foul on the same player.

That prompted Reynolds to immediately replace Mountney, much to the consternation of the home fans who felt that option should not have been available to him.

Their equaliser came from the resultant free-kick, however. Shane Farrell’s delivery was met at the near post by the ever-reliable Conor Keeley who planted a header past Kacper Chorazka. Parity lasted just four minutes, however.

Clarke found the net again and while this effort was scrappier than his first, it was no less valuable with a place in Europe on the line. When Drogheda failed to deal with a cross into the box from the left, it fell to the 24-year-old to help it in from close range.

A goal was needed but Drogheda couldn’t find one in the second half. Only Owen Lambe’s strike from distance really troubled the goalkeeper. Their task was made all the more difficult when Josh Thomas was red carded in the 76th minute for an elbow on Tierney.

Drogheda United: Dennison; Bolger (Heeney, 69), Keeley, Quinn; Lambe (Stretton, 77), Farrell (Davis, 57), Brennan, Kane (Cruise, 69); Markey; Thomas, Kareem (Oluwa, 57).

Bohemians: Chorazka, Mountney (Morahan, 34), Byrne, Kavanagh, Flores (Cornwall, 78); McDonnell, Devoy; Tierney, Clarke, Rooney; James-Taylor (Whelan, 64).

Referee: Paul Norton