Graham Burke's brace ensures leaders Shamrock Rovers edge Bohemians in Dublin derby

Shamrock Rovers’ Graham Burke celebrates scoring from a penalty. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne.

Shamrock Rovers 2 Bohemians 1

Graham Burke scored twice as in-form Shamrock Rovers overcame Bohemians in a gripping Dublin derby at Tallaght Stadium to maintain their two-point lead at the top of the Premier Division table.

Stephen Bradley’s champions are now undefeated in nine games since losing to their arch-rivals in February.

Though they made more than a match of this engrossing encounter, with a Colm Whelan penalty bringing late hope, it’s back-to-back defeats for Alan Reynolds’ erstwhile leaders, without a win now in six as they slip to fourth place.

A helter-skelter opening soon settled down with Rovers delighting the bulk in the 9,202 crowd by taking a fifth minute lead from the game’s first incisive attack.

It was all the work of Burke who had been presented pre-match with a shirt to mark his 100th goal for the club in the recent win over Shelbourne.

Goal 101 arrived when the former Ireland attacker’s surging run looked to have been stopped when colliding with Sam Todd.

Though there was no whistle for a foul, Patrick Hickey’s attempted clearance hit central defensive partner Todd to gift the ball back to Burke.

Little invitation was needed for the Hoops’ number 10 to sweep the ball to the bottom corner of Kacper Chorazka’s net off his trusted left foot.

It was 20 minutes before Bohemians worried the Rovers rearguard for the first time.

Todd nicked the ball off Burke for Jordan Flores who galloped to the end line. The pull-back beat goalkeeper Ed McGinty, but captain Roberto Lopes was in the right place to hack clear with Douglas James-Taylor lurking at the far post.

That gave Bohemians impetus as they enjoyed their first spell of possession in the game.

But they had further frantic defending to do on 28 minutes as Rovers broke on the counter.

Danny Grant worked a one-two with Burke down with left to stretch the Bohemians defence which got back to deflect Burke shot out for a corner.

With the game opened up now, Tunmise Sobowale did well to turn Zane Myers’ shot out for Bohemians’ first corner of the game.

A set-piece routine from a Dayle Rooney corner then saw Dawson Devoy curl a shot just past a post.

Rooney was then guilty of skying wastefully over the top when set up by his skipper after Devoy nicked the ball off John O’Sullivan.

A sliding doors end to the half then saw Bohemians come within inches of equalising only to fall further behind on 44 minutes from a controversial penalty.

First Flores saw his header come back off an upright when Rovers failed to clear a Rooney corner.

Devoy then misjudged Sobowale’s diagonal pass to give Grant a run on goal.

Chasing back, Devoy appeared to clip the shooting foot of Grant with referee Rob Hennessy pointing to the spot.

Burke remained the calmest man in the ground to send Chorazka the wrong way from 12 yards for his second goal of the night.

Bohemians came out with much intent from the resumption, forcing four early corners with McGinty making big saves from Myers and Hickey, whose shot he deflected onto the crossbar, and then twice from Darragh Power, as Rovers somehow survived.

Grant relieved the pressure for the home side with another galloping run and shot which Chorazka pushed round a post.

Prospects of a grandstand finish arrived on 80 minutes when Bohemians got a goal back from a penalty of their own.

Substitute Whelan rifled home from the spot for his sixth goal of the season after he had been tripped by Grant following Markuss Strods’ corner.

But Chorazka had to make perhaps the save of the night minutes later to keep out a header from Hoops’ substitute John McGovern as Rovers had done just enough to take the points.

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Sobowale, Lopes, C. O’Sullivan; Mulraney (Brennan, 64), J. O’Sullivan, Byrne (Razi, 74), Grant; Burke (Greene, 64), Ozhianvuna (Stevens, 88); Noonan (McGovern, 74).

Bohemians: Chorazka; Power, Hickey, Todd, Mullen; Devoy, Flores (Diallo, 70); Rooney (Parsons, 70), Tierney (Kavanagh, 77), Myers (Strods, 58); James-Taylor Whelan, 58).

Referee: Rob Hennessy (Clare).

Attendance: 9,202.