A SHAMROCK ROVERS jersey with Graham Burke’s name and the number 100 printed on the back hung in the press box before kick-off.
A volunteer from the media team stood guard, carrying out his duties with honour and respect. If required, he’d have steam ironed without hesitation.
Rovers were preparing to celebrate a talisman of their success before kick-off against Bohemians. Flame machines shot skywards and pyro added further decoration.
Burke reached the 100-goal milestone against Shelbourne earlier this month, and the jersey was to be presented to him here.
As ever, though, Rovers under Stephen Bradley refuse to stand still and by the fifth minute the jersey was already out of date as Burke opened the scoring.
By the 44th minute club staff might well have been prepping to have a new one ready to go as Burke was on a hat-trick after calmly converting from the penalty spot.
The treble never came but three points did, even if Bohs made it a nervy finish with a late spot kick of their own from Colm Whelan.
Unlike last season for Bohs, there was no late drama to inspire a resurgence. They’re without a win in six games and that dismal run has seen them drop to fourth.
Rovers were already top after winning 1-0 away to St Patrick’s Athletic and they are beginning to get comfortable. It’s now three wins from three for the Hoops, all of them Dublin derbies.
They didn’t see this one out without nerves, but they never buckled. It feels like they’re just strapping themselves in for a wild ride to another title.
Their opener was a deadly combination of comedy and class.
Burke picked up the ball inside his own half and drove forward unchallenged. He picked up speed and appealed for a foul when a challenge from Ross Tierney brought him to the floor. His momentum was such that he sprung back to his feet quickly, and it was just as well because a mix up between centre backs Sam Todd and Patrick Hickey saw the ball ricochet back to him.
He was on his feet, took control of the ball, and curled a lovely effort low to Kacper Chorazka’s right from 20 yards.
Goal 101 for Burke and Room 101 for Bohs.
That feeling of impending doom and ruination played out for the rest of the half.
On another night Bohs could easily have been 3-1 up. Instead they were 2-0 down and carrying a sense of outrage at the award of the penalty that allowed Rovers double the lead.
But before Burke slotted in from the spot, Bohs endured the kind of near misses that make every fan dread the inevitable sucker punch.
Pico Lopes had to be in the right place at the right time on 20 minutes to clear a dangerous cross from his six-yard box with Douglas James-Taylor waiting to tap in on his first start of the season.
In the 33rd minute Bohs worked a neat corner kick routine to work a clear sight of goal for Devoy from 18 yards. His effort was inches wide. Two minutes after that and the Gypsies’ skipper sprung from midfield to nick possession from John O’Sullivan.
Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
The young Rovers midfielder was starting in place of lynchpin Matt Healy, who was not part of the matchday squad, and it was one of his few missteps.
Devoy drove into the box and had a shooting opportunity. Instead, he opted to pass square for Dayle Rooney and the chance was gone.
At this point, Bohs had enough encouragement to take into the break. And then the momentum shifted wildly again. Burke was at the heart of two mad minutes, first clearing the danger when Jordan Flores glanced a header off the post and then convering the penalty kick with the grace you would expect.
The build up to the penalty is what really fueled Bohs’ sense of grievance. Devoy misjudged a diagonal ball from Tunmise Sobowale, Danny Grant’s touch was sublime and as he strode into the box he was clipped by the recovering Devoy as he wound back his shot.
Referee Rob Hennessy was right behind it and pointed to the spot instantly. Burke would make no mistake.
The Bohs response was not quite immediate from the re-start but in a six-minute period they had a flurry of chances. Ed McGinty made a trio of firm saves in the box, and also touched a point-blank Hickey shot onto the bar.
Devoy drove them on too, clipping one defence-splitting pass from deep that was not able to be collected in his stride by substitute Markuss Strods. Devoy then fed a neat reverse pass in the box to Tierney but he blazed over the crossbar.
The visitors had the momentum but nothing to show from their efforts except frustration and regret.
That was until a penalty of their own 11 minutes from time set up a grandstand finish. Strods’ corner wasn’t cleared, another of the subs, Whelan, came from behind Grant to nick the ball and the follow through brought the striker down. It was not too dissimilar to the one that went against them at the end of the first half and, just like Burke, Whelan made no mistake.
He went low to McGinty’s left as the Rovers goalkeeper went the other way. But the points stayed where they were.
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty, Tunmise Sobowale, Pico Lopes (captain), Cory O’Sullivan; Jake Mulraney (Adam Brennan 64), John O’Sullivan, Victor Ozhianvuna (Enda Stevens 88), Jack Byrne (Naj Razi 73), Danny Grant; Graham Burke (Aaron Greene 64), Michael Noonan (John McGovern 73).
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Darragh Power, Sam Tood, Patrick Hickey, Senan Mullen; Zane Myers (Markuss Strods 58), Dawson Devoy (captain), Jordan Flores (Sadou Diallo 70), Ross Tierney (Leigh Kavanagh 77), Dayle Rooney (Connor Parsons 70; Douglas James-Taylor (Colm Whelan 58).
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Majestic Graham Burke delivers derby spoils for Shamrock Rovers against Bohemians
Shamrock Rovers 2
Bohemians 1
A SHAMROCK ROVERS jersey with Graham Burke’s name and the number 100 printed on the back hung in the press box before kick-off.
A volunteer from the media team stood guard, carrying out his duties with honour and respect. If required, he’d have steam ironed without hesitation.
Rovers were preparing to celebrate a talisman of their success before kick-off against Bohemians. Flame machines shot skywards and pyro added further decoration.
Burke reached the 100-goal milestone against Shelbourne earlier this month, and the jersey was to be presented to him here.
As ever, though, Rovers under Stephen Bradley refuse to stand still and by the fifth minute the jersey was already out of date as Burke opened the scoring.
By the 44th minute club staff might well have been prepping to have a new one ready to go as Burke was on a hat-trick after calmly converting from the penalty spot.
The treble never came but three points did, even if Bohs made it a nervy finish with a late spot kick of their own from Colm Whelan.
Unlike last season for Bohs, there was no late drama to inspire a resurgence. They’re without a win in six games and that dismal run has seen them drop to fourth.
Rovers were already top after winning 1-0 away to St Patrick’s Athletic and they are beginning to get comfortable. It’s now three wins from three for the Hoops, all of them Dublin derbies.
They didn’t see this one out without nerves, but they never buckled. It feels like they’re just strapping themselves in for a wild ride to another title.
Their opener was a deadly combination of comedy and class.
Burke picked up the ball inside his own half and drove forward unchallenged. He picked up speed and appealed for a foul when a challenge from Ross Tierney brought him to the floor. His momentum was such that he sprung back to his feet quickly, and it was just as well because a mix up between centre backs Sam Todd and Patrick Hickey saw the ball ricochet back to him.
He was on his feet, took control of the ball, and curled a lovely effort low to Kacper Chorazka’s right from 20 yards.
Goal 101 for Burke and Room 101 for Bohs.
That feeling of impending doom and ruination played out for the rest of the half.
On another night Bohs could easily have been 3-1 up. Instead they were 2-0 down and carrying a sense of outrage at the award of the penalty that allowed Rovers double the lead.
But before Burke slotted in from the spot, Bohs endured the kind of near misses that make every fan dread the inevitable sucker punch.
Pico Lopes had to be in the right place at the right time on 20 minutes to clear a dangerous cross from his six-yard box with Douglas James-Taylor waiting to tap in on his first start of the season.
In the 33rd minute Bohs worked a neat corner kick routine to work a clear sight of goal for Devoy from 18 yards. His effort was inches wide. Two minutes after that and the Gypsies’ skipper sprung from midfield to nick possession from John O’Sullivan.
The young Rovers midfielder was starting in place of lynchpin Matt Healy, who was not part of the matchday squad, and it was one of his few missteps.
Devoy drove into the box and had a shooting opportunity. Instead, he opted to pass square for Dayle Rooney and the chance was gone.
At this point, Bohs had enough encouragement to take into the break. And then the momentum shifted wildly again. Burke was at the heart of two mad minutes, first clearing the danger when Jordan Flores glanced a header off the post and then convering the penalty kick with the grace you would expect.
The build up to the penalty is what really fueled Bohs’ sense of grievance. Devoy misjudged a diagonal ball from Tunmise Sobowale, Danny Grant’s touch was sublime and as he strode into the box he was clipped by the recovering Devoy as he wound back his shot.
Referee Rob Hennessy was right behind it and pointed to the spot instantly. Burke would make no mistake.
The Bohs response was not quite immediate from the re-start but in a six-minute period they had a flurry of chances. Ed McGinty made a trio of firm saves in the box, and also touched a point-blank Hickey shot onto the bar.
Devoy drove them on too, clipping one defence-splitting pass from deep that was not able to be collected in his stride by substitute Markuss Strods. Devoy then fed a neat reverse pass in the box to Tierney but he blazed over the crossbar.
The visitors had the momentum but nothing to show from their efforts except frustration and regret.
That was until a penalty of their own 11 minutes from time set up a grandstand finish. Strods’ corner wasn’t cleared, another of the subs, Whelan, came from behind Grant to nick the ball and the follow through brought the striker down. It was not too dissimilar to the one that went against them at the end of the first half and, just like Burke, Whelan made no mistake.
He went low to McGinty’s left as the Rovers goalkeeper went the other way. But the points stayed where they were.
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty, Tunmise Sobowale, Pico Lopes (captain), Cory O’Sullivan; Jake Mulraney (Adam Brennan 64), John O’Sullivan, Victor Ozhianvuna (Enda Stevens 88), Jack Byrne (Naj Razi 73), Danny Grant; Graham Burke (Aaron Greene 64), Michael Noonan (John McGovern 73).
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Darragh Power, Sam Tood, Patrick Hickey, Senan Mullen; Zane Myers (Markuss Strods 58), Dawson Devoy (captain), Jordan Flores (Sadou Diallo 70), Ross Tierney (Leigh Kavanagh 77), Dayle Rooney (Connor Parsons 70; Douglas James-Taylor (Colm Whelan 58).
Referee: Rob Hennessy.
Attendance: 9,202.
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