Shelbourne 1
Bohemians 0
Paul Buttner reports from Tolka Park
SUBSTITUTE KIAN LEAVY got Shelbourne’s season up and running with a cracking late winner as Bohemians can only have themselves to blame as they finished with 10 men at Tolka Park.
Declan Devine’s Gypsies had been the better side until Dylan Connolly was sent off on 67 minutes.
Connolly had burst clear in a counter-attack before being stopped by the retreating John Ross Wilson’s superb tackle. The Bohemians winger got to his feet in frustration before body-checking into the Shelbourne right-back, leaving referee Arnold Hunter little option but to show him a straight red card.
Shelbourne then won a fitful derby on 78 minutes.
Wilson’s cross was only partially cleared by Kacper Radkowski with the ball falling to Leavy.
The 20-year old Reading loanee cut across Kris Twardek before rifling a crisp low drive to the bottom left-hand corner of James Talbot’s net.
Unchanged from their win over Dundalk at Dalymount last time out, Bohemians started with purpose.
But it was Shels’ more direct approach that brought the first sight of goal six minutes in, Mark Coyle blasting a first time drive over the top.
Passing the ball well, Bohemians might have been ahead from their first incisive attack on the game seven minutes later.
Jonathan Afolabi spun Shels skipper Luke Byrne onto Paddy Kirk’s ball down the inside left channel. Connolly should have found the target from the cross to the far post instead of slicing wastefully wide.
It was the 28th minute of a feistily contested derby before we had a first shot on target, Adam McDonnell’s powerful strike from distance straight at Conor Kearns in the home goal.
Likewise at the other end, Tyreke Wilson’s free kick had the range and accuracy, but not the power to beat James Talbot.
Bohemians enjoyed plenty of the ball on the resumption, but it was almost the hour before they troubled Kearns.
Ali Coote came alive to force a save low down at his right-hand post from the Shelbourne goalkeeper before the game really sprung to life in the final quarter.
Shelbourne: Kearns; Barrett, Byrne, Molloy; JR Wilson, Coyle (Ledwidge, 49), Lunney, T. Wilson; Farrell (Leavy, 59), Caffrey (McManus, 86), Moylan (Robinson, 86).
Bohemians: Talbot; Buckley, Horton, Radkowski, Kirk (McManus, h-t); McDonnell (O’Sullivan, 90), Flores; Connolly, Coote (Twardek, 70), McDaid (Akintunde, 70); Afolabi (Willians, 77).
Referee: Arnold Hunter (Northern Ireland).