Pre-match flare-up gives way to scoreless Shels and Bohs derby

10 minutes before kickoff, Shelbourne players and members of their backroom team took exception to the Bohemians squad arriving into the half they were warming up in to applaud the visiting fans behind the goal.

Shels’ Maill Lundgren in action against Darragh Power of Bohs. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Shelbourne 0 Bohemians 0

Tension surged throughout this Tolka Park derby clash following a pre-match flare-up between both sets of players and the respective coaching teams. Alas, the contest itself lacked the same sort of punch, with a game-settling moment of magic conspicuous by its absence despite the end to end nature of proceedings.

The fuse on a fiery night was lit 10 minutes before kickoff when the Shelbourne players and members of their backroom team took exception to the Bohemians squad arriving into the half they were warming up in, to applaud the visiting fans behind the goal.

Terse words quickly morphed into a melee involving players and coaches and, with the match officials inside the dressing room finalising their own preparations, it needed a handful of cool-headed parties on either side to step into the melting pot and calm things down.

Not that it lasted too long, mind. Rival coaches then sparked another flashpoint among themselves at the opposite end of the pitch as they headed for the tunnel. Clashes between these neighbours tend to be energised at the best of times, but Tolka Park was simmering.

So what of the game itself? Full-blooded as you would expect but while referee Aaron O’Dowd was always going to have his hands full after those pre-match antics, he handled the situation well and allowed an absorbing contest flow but without either side doing enough to maximise their return.

Shelbourne and Bohemians staff tussle before the match. Pic: Paul Phelan/Sportsfile

Zane Myers showed why the Gypsies were keen to sign him over the winter on a permanent deal from Championship side Hull City. On his first start, his pace troubled the Shelbourne defence throughout and he reeled off two efforts at goal inside 16 minutes.

Shelbourne only got motoring late in the half and while they enjoyed good possession, very little fell their way in the Bohemians box. From their best attack of the half, Evan Caffrey couldn’t get the ball out of his feet quick enough to shoot from the penalty spot.

But Caffrey ought to have put the hosts ahead within two minutes of the second-half. Harry Wood floated a cross into the Bohemians box and Caffrey was well placed having dodged scrambling defenders, but skewed his header wide from eight yards.

Neither side asserted outright dominance and the tit-for-tat nature of the attacks continued for the remainder. Myers was such a handful and remained central to Bohemians’ best work, teeing up Ross Tierney who drew another good save from Speel.

It wouldn’t be the big Dutchman’s last intervention either. Bohemians were throwing everything at Shelbourne in injury-time and Speel turned away another Devoy shot, before standing firm to deflect a Colin Whelan flick at goal from point blank range.

Ultimately, for all the have-a-go approach, neither side had the guile to unlock the other. The contest just lacked a moment of quality to settle it either way on a night when the pre-match shenanigans provided the drama.

SHELBOURNE: Speel; Gannon, Rossi, Ledwidge; Caffrey, Norris (Kelly 65); McInroy, McInroy, Henry-Francis (Lunney 71) ; Caffrey, Wood (Freitas 89), Lundgren (Coote 65) ; Boyd (Martin 71).

BOHEMIANS: Chorazka; Power, Hickey Todd, Mullen; Devoy, Flores (McDonnell 75) ; Myers (Strods 75), Tierney, Parsons (Vaughan 82); Whelan.

Referee: A O’Dowd (Dublin)