Bohemians 1-1 Shamrock Rovers
Shane Robinson’s scrappy late equaliser salvaged a point for Shamrock Rovers to just about keep their European qualification hopes via the league alive.
Pat Fenlon’s side are now seven points behind third-placed St. Patrick’s Athletic, whom they meet at Richmond Park on Friday, though with a game in hand.
Trailing to Derek Pender’s cracking opening goal, Rovers were thrown a lifeline on 84 minutes when defender Roberto Lopes clumsily tripped winger Marty Waters inside the area.
Dean Kelly’s resulting weak penalty was parried by Dean Delany and Robinson reacted quickest to fire home the loose ball.
Pender had finally ignited a dreadfully poor derby 18 minutes earlier with the goal it cried out for, the right-back bursting through into the area to blast a shot to the roof of Barry Murphy’s net.
Bohemians wouldn’t have been flattered to have won it and almost did so a minute from time but for the save of the night from Murphy who turned Steven Beattie’s header round a post.
Despite having nothing tangible to play for, Owen Heary's side were no less fired up for the visit of their arch-rivals, starting forcefully in pinning Rovers in their own half early on.
Aidan Price forced a seventh-minute corner with his free-kick deflecting off Conor Kenna. Dinny Corcoran’s overhead kick from Karl Moore’s subsequent delivery lacked any power to trouble Murphy, who gathered on his line.
Rovers had to work hard to get into the game. That they did, though all they had to show for their first half graft was a chip from their right-back Simon Madden that was off target.
Doubtless with some choice words from manager Fenlon at half-time, Rovers were far more purposeful on the resumption as they injected a higher tempo to their game.
Gary McCabe was over the top with a free-kick before the winger powered a right-foot drive wide of a post as the home keeper was still yet to be worked.
But Bohemians played their way back into it with arguably the game’s first clear-cut chance on 63 minutes as Mulcahy headed over from Pender’s cross before the full-back’s goal heralded the overdue drama.
Bohemians: Dean Delany; Derek Pender, Roberto Lopes, Aidan Price, Jack Memery; Steven Beattie, Dave Mulcahy, Keith Buckley, Karl Moore; Paddy Kavanagh; Dinny Corcoran.
Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy; Simon Madden, Conor Kenna, Jason McGuinness, Luke Byrne; Shane Robinson, Ryan Brennan (Stephen McPhail 68); Sean O'Connor (Marty Waters 53), Ronan Finn, Gary McCabe (Dean Kelly 80); Ciaran Kilduff.
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin)
