RICHIE TOWELL’S SUPERB cushioned lob on the volley to cap off a fine team move caught the eye for Shamrock Rovers against Derry City on Monday.
Hoops head coach Stephen Bradley was purring, hailing it as possibly the goal of the season so far.
It combined some of the elements that make this Rovers side so good.
The calm, chipped pass out from the back by Lee Grace was met by Towell’s equally confident first-time switch of play.
Once Ronan Finn helped get the ball back on the deck and under total control with a delicate chested lay off for Jack Byrne, some quick interplay between him and the advancing Daniel Cleary out of the defence allowed for Byrne to pick another pin-point cross field ball for Trevor Clarke.
Richie Towell volleys Shamrock Rovers to a 1-0 lead over Derry City with a superb improvised finish after a sweeping move by the visitors.
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) May 1, 2023
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The left-wing back had supported the attack to the point his deft header into the path of Towell – who had the licence and ability to gallop from deep inside his own half – came just on the corner of the 18-yard box.
Towell’s finish was instinctive, a casual yet precise flick of the outside of his right foot guiding the ball over Brian Maher.
Bohemians manager Declan Devine will not have needed to watch or break down some of the patterns involved from the move at the Ryan McBride Brandywell; the manner of the 2-0 defeat to Rovers at Dalymount Park on 7 April will surely still be fresh in his mind.
The Gypsies remain top of the Premier Division almost a month later, allaying any fears that the derby loss would lead to a collapse in form and confidence, but the way they were outclassed and out thought in possession for large periods is something they will need to rectify.
“We’ve got to respect them and try and impose ourselves on them as quickly as possible and take control of the game,” Bradley said ahead of this sold-out meeting at Tallaght Stadium.
“When we get our period of controlling the game whether that’s the first minute or the 70th minute, whatever it is we’ve got to make it count. We did that in Dalymount and that’ll be the aim again on Friday.”
Rovers showed again in Derry how they can control the flow of a game while going in search of a goal and then defending a lead.
Three nights earlier against Sligo Rovers, with two swift pieces of play, their midfield illustrated the kind of danger Devine knows to expect tonight.
This time Towell lost his battle, Sligo’s Greg Bolger anticipating a breaking ball before him and having the legs to get there first.
Crucially, the Bit O’Red veteran couldn’t maintain possession. The ball – as you might expect will happen a bit in the heat of battle in a derby – shot away.
This is when the various traits and strengths that make up Rovers’ midfield shone.
As Bolger sought to keep Sligo on the front foot, Gary O’Neill was able to step forward in an instant and swing the momentum back in the home side’s favour.
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The Kerry native wasn’t in the matchday squad for the win in Phibsborough last month, but with Dylan Watts now the one absent through injury, O’Neill will surely form part of the base against Bohs.
His understanding about when to take a breath in possession and allow his teammates regroup, or ensure the tempo is maintained to catch opponents off guard, proved crucial in this instance.
Against Sligo he was able to deal with that breaking ball and fire a first-time pass without so much as blinking into the path of Jack Byrne. Had he needed one or even two touches to set himself and assess his options – as plenty of others would have – the opportunity to counter would have been gone.
With Bolger caught 15 yards up the pitch, the space was there for Byrne to swivel and pass into the path of Clarke, who had raced forward from the left side.
It is the kind of swift turnover play Bohs will have to guard against, while also knowing Rovers themselves are susceptible to being caught out.
Shelbourne showed it in equally devastating fashion in Tallaght when a Hoops attack broke down in the Shels box only to end up seconds later with Jack Moylan and Matty Smith combining to score at the other end.
Matty Smith makes it Shamrock Rovers 0-2 Shelbourne with a composed finish after a brilliant counter-attack from the visitors.
— RTÉ Soccer (@RTEsoccer) April 14, 2023
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Bohs, too, had their chances in the early exchanges at Dalymount a few weeks back but failed to capitalise when Ali Coote and Dylan Connolly were able to expose space on the left side of the Rovers defence to create openings.
Rovers have served a reminder in their last two games of the different ways their midfield is capable of killing in an instant or inflicting a slow death.
Bohemians must heed lessons of their own, and others, to ensure they’re not the latest victims.
