Rovers are back: Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Bohemians

There really isn’t much to be added about Friday night. Every watching Rovers fan will be in agreement that it was another famous night for the Hoops, and a return to the sort of interest, passion and intensity that made last year’s side title challengers, and will make this side one too. Unlike Bohs previous two trips to Tallaght, Shamrock Rovers were not fortunate winners, we fully deserved three points having comfortably outplayed the northsiders and league favourites.

Yet again Rovers at Tallaght proved to be the best thing going for the league. Having re-watched the game on the RTÉ Player, the atmosphere is electric, and the whole thing, thanks to a much better effort from RTÉ with their coverage, had the feeling of being a major sporting event that people will want to attend. Compare that to the Louth derby played out at the dilapidated Oriel Park and covered by RTÉ last month.

The players and management have deservedly come in for stick this season, but all deserve a big pat on the back for Friday night’s effort. With 7 players missing, and losing 3 more mid-game it was a fantastic effort from all concerned. Hugely impressive was just how disciplined and well-drilled the side was throughout, keeping their shape fantastically and never allowing Bohs create a real opportunity throughout. Losing Ricer, Flynn and Cahill caused some major mid-game rejigging, but Rovers work-rate ensured that Bohs couldn’t capitalise on even that.

In defence Dan Murray produced by far his best performance thus far for his new club. This was the sort of battle Murray seems to excel at, and Bohemians incredulously played right to his strengths. The test of Murray as captain of this team will now come in upcoming games against Drogheda, Bray and UCD where the same commitment and concentration will be required in less-fierce circumstances. Beside him was my MotM, renaissance man Aidan Price who produced a fantastic display to completely nullify Bohs, including what will have to be tackle-of-the-season, and an assist thrown in for good measure.

The five man midfield was restored to keep Bohs quiet and it worked superbly, the Gypos not knowing how to deal with Rice, Chambers and Turner. When Rice was forced off Bayly slotted in superbly and managed to keep his infamous temper in check. If the team is to be title challengers it may well be Chambers and Turner who will push the team on to that, they were both superb in the midfield battle, Turner providing the perfect combination of attrition and creativity.

Billy Dennehy deserves special praise too. He’s had a mixed start to his Hoops career, offering much potential but not really delivering thus far. His lack of defensive ability also left defenders exposed in previous games, but on Friday his work-rate was phenomenal. In the 91^st minute he was able to chase down a ball and put it out for a throw-in instead of a goal-kick for Bohs, that drive epitomising the team’s spirit and desire on the night.

And that’s all before mentioning Gary Twigg’s return and the joy with which he winds up Bohs fans, Alan Kelly producing a great refereeing display or Hooperman’s unmasking at the hands of Billy Dennehy. Richie Sadlier made the point before the game taht if Bohs scored first the crowd would turn on Rovers and sink our chances. He was right, the boo-boys would have been out big time had we lost a goal, but instead as Sadlier pointed out after the game it was the fans who roared Rovers to victory in the end. This performance was reinvigorating for the club on and off the pitch, the passion and tenacity shown on the field and in the stands needs to be recreated in less-illustrious games, there’s no excuse now for the timid performance by the players against UCD, or the way the fans gave up and turner on the side against Pats and Dundalk.

Rovers are now right back in the mix, with the prospect of having two very winnable games coming up and the return of numerous players in the next few weeks. What of Bohemians though, the huge favourites for the title? Like the other times I’ve seen Bohs this season I was extremely unimpressed by them. The players they lost in the winter were huge absences for them on Friday. Chris O’Connor in goal’s footwork was atrocious for Dennehy’s goal, whilst no-one in their midfield had the danger Ndo provides. In the middle they lacked Deegan hugely, Turner was allowed to dominate in the way Deegan has previously. Fenlon’s tactics too were way off. As gdtww predicted, their game plan was to try to release Cretaro behind Price and Murray. Again, it failed with Murray lapping up all those attempted balls over the top. When that failed they had no-one to direct proceedings from the middle, Quigley producing one of the most laughably inept performances on the wing you’ll see all season. Fenlon ended the game by throwing four strikers on the pitch and hoping for the best with aimless punts up field in to space.

Bohs are yet to win impressively in the league this season, and if teams use the Rovers blueprint they won’t find such wins easy to muster. Wherever they go teams will put five in the middle, where the lack of creativity from the central two will mean they resort to punts up field to Byrne and Cretaro/Madden. They’ve had huge luck thus far, and will still be too good for most teams in the league thanks to the goalscoring instinct of Byrne and set-pieces from the likes of Brennan. But if they think that will allow them dominate the league as they might have done two years ago they’re way off.

All this makes the decision by Fenlon not to force through his move to Dundee United even stranger. For once he’ll be operating without a squad that he’d desire and so far the results are unconvincing. Whilst the miniscule manager spent the weekend whining constantly at (the surprisingly excellent) Alan Kelly (even at decisions he wasn’t looking at at the time) he could have been qualifying Dundee Utd for the Scottish Cup Final and 3^rd in the SPL. As career choices go, the early results are that he made a hilariously awful one.

~ by smulv on April 13, 2010.