Late goals earn derby win for Shamrock Rovers

Shamrock Rovers 2-0 Bohemians

Updated: Friday, 30 Mar 2012




Gary Twigg celebrates the opening goal of the game in the 79th minute

Shamrock Rovers struggled in parts but goals from Gary Twigg and Billy Dennehy helped them record a 2-0 victory over bitter rivals Bohemians in their Airtricity League Premier Division encounter at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night.


There was little to commend the tie in the early exchanges with Bohemians understandably, given their lowly league position, adopting a defensive formation.


Twigg had a first-half effort ruled out but broke the deadlock in the 79th minute before Dennehy sealed the win in injury time.


Boh's defensive plan worked to a tee early on with the Hoops only piercing their rearguard on one occasion as Ronan Finn’s driving run allowed Gary Twigg a wonderful opportunity from eight yards but the normally reliable Scotsman shot straight at the legs of Andy McNulty.


Joyce became the game’s most influential figure, snapping at the heels of Finn at every opportunity while Evan McMillan and David Mulcahy enjoyed a fairly comfortable half as the Hoops struggled to pierce a well-organised alignment.


Despite that, it took the whistle of referee Richie Winter to deny Twigg midway through the half, with the league’s top scorer adjudged to have handled before finding the net with a sublime arrowed drive across McNulty from 20 yards.


In the 24th minute, the Gypsies made their first foray into the opposition’s penalty area but Adam Martin’s header had too much elevation and sailed harmlessly over the bar following an inviting left-wing cross by Karl Moore.


All that Rovers had in reply were two long range efforts from Finn and Killian Brennan that failed to exert too much trouble on McNulty with the tie scoreless by half-time.


David Mulcahy and Evan McMillan continued to deal comfortably with the sporadic bits of pressure that the hosts could muster while at the opposite end, Dave Scully could have gained reward for his tireless efforts but his snapshot from 16 yards flew narrowly wide of Oscar Jansson’s right-hand post in the 70th minute.


However, Rovers were always likely to exert greater pressure as the half progressed and Twigg’s ability to plunder a goal at the most opportune time was again evident in the 78th minute as he turned onto Finn’s pass before curling a sublime shot beyond the stationary McNulty from 16 yards.


After substitute Dinny Corocran had gone agonisingly close for Bohs, Dennehy secured the points in injury time with a clinical finish following a pass from Daryl Kavanagh to keep Rovers sitting pretty at the top of the table.


Shamrock Rovers: Jansson; Gilbert (Gannon, 73), Sives, Oman, Brennan; Dennehy, Rice (O’Neill, 67), Finn, Turner, Greene (Kavanagh, 73); Twigg.


Bohemians: McNulty; Heary, McMillan, Mulcahy, Harney; Pender (O’Connor, 85), Martin, Joyce (Ward, 59), Traynor, Moore; Scully (Corcoran, 85).