BOHEMIANS FANS BOUNCED out of Dalymount Park tonight after watching their team strike a devastating blow to Shamrock Rovers’ hopes of retaining their Airtricity League title — and possibly to Stephen Kenny’s reign as Hoops boss.
Kenny’s side were humiliated by their bitter rivals as a brace apiece from Peter McMahon and Karl Moore gave the Gypsies an unlikely 4-0 win, their biggest margin of victory against Rovers in more than half a century.
In Oriel Park, Danny North was in fine form once again, his double helping Sligo Rovers to come from a goal down to beat Dundalk 2-1.
Michael Rafter opened the scoring for the hosts on 36 minutes, getting between two defenders to head Chris Shields’ free kick past Gary Rogers. But Sligo responded before the break, North applying the finish following a superb run by Ross Gaynor.
And Sligo’s marksman sealed all three points four minutes after the restart, tapping home from close range after Peter Cherrie failed to clear a corner.
St Patrick’s Athletic kept in touch with Sligo at the top with a 1-0 win against Shelbourne in Inchicore. Greg Bolger scored the game’s only goal in the ninth minute, catching Dean Delany flatfooted with a speculative effort.
Any hopes which Shels had of mounting a comeback were snuffed out with six minutes to play when Barry Clancy was shown a straight red for an altercation with Ger O’Brien.
In the Brandywell, Derry City also had a night to forget as they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at home to Drogheda United. Gavin Brennan took full advantage of a defensive mix-up to open the scoring in the ninth minute, and he doubled Drogs’ advantage four minutes after the restart, finishing emphatically after brother Ryan supplied the pass.
Derry’s disaster was complete seven minutes later when Declan O’Brien chipped Ger Doherty from the visitors’ third of the evening.
Three was the magic number for Cork City as well as Tommy Dunne’s men beat Bray Wanderers 3-0 at the Carlisle Grounds. City got off to the best possible start when Tadhg Purcell headed past Darren Quigley on five minutes and as they pressed forward in search of a second, they were rewarded in the 34th minute. Colin Healy supplied the cross and Shane Duggan was on hand to finish smartly at the back post.
Duggan then turned supplier for City’s third in the 65th minute, setting Vinny Sullivan free and watching as the striker rounded Quigley and rolled the ball into the empty net.
Premier Division:
- Bohemians 4-0 Shamrock Rovers
- Bray Wanderers 0-3 Cork City
- Derry City 0-3 Drogheda United
- Dundalk 1-2 Sligo Rovers
- St Patrick’s Athletic 1-0 Shelbourne
First Division:
- Athlone Town 2-0 SD Galway
- Limerick FC 2-0 Finn Harps
- Mervue United 4-5 Longford Town
- Wexford Youths 1-2 Waterford United
