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Flores brace condemns league leaders Shels to first defeat

Updated / Friday, 12 Apr 2024 22:18
Jordan Flores celebrates his first-half penalty at Tolka Park with Bohemians team-mate Dayle Rooney
Jordan Flores celebrates his first-half penalty at Tolka Park with Bohemians team-mate Dayle Rooney

Bohemians ended rivals Shelbourne's unbeaten start to the season in a thriller in front of the RTÉ cameras, taking the three points with a 2-1 victory at Tolka Park.

A first-half Jordan Flores brace proved enough in the end to earn bragging rights in a feisty North Dublin derby, with Will Jarvis setting up a tension filled finale with a second-half penalty.

FULL MATCH DETAILS

The red hot north Dublin derby certainly lived up to the hype as the previously unbeaten league leaders welcomed their neighbours Bohs to a rammed Tolka Park.

And all those watching on didn't have to wait long for the first attempts on goal with both sides signalling their attacking intent straight away.

Within the first two minutes both sides had great chances to take the lead.

Firstly, James Akintunde narrowly missed the top corner with a flicked header from captain Flores’ inswinging cross and then the hosts, looking to get back to winning ways after two difficult draws with Derry City and Drogheda United, went straight down the other end with John Martin forcing Kacper Chorazka into an excellent save down to his right before JJ Lunney’s rebound was bravely blocked.

It was all Shels from then as they began to ramp up the intensity and force their visitors back towards their own goal.

March player of the month Will Jarvis burst down the left before squaring low to Liam Burt who was agonisingly close to tapping home, but was denied by a brilliant bit of defending by Paddy Kirk on the cover.

Having weathered the early storm the Gypsies were then gifted a glorious opportunity to take the lead seven minutes before the break.

Jevon Mills' long ball over the top held up on the uneven surface, allowing the electric Akintunde to steal a march on Reds stopper Kearns, who collided with Bohs frontman in the area.

In front of his sold out away section, Flores showed nerves of steel to tuck the penalty low into the bottom right-hand corner.

The travelling support were in dream land just minutes later as their side doubled their lead thanks to an excellently worked set piece routine.

Dayle Rooney delivered a beautifully whipped corner to the back post, finding Flores who made a late run to find space and made no mistake with a powerful header.

It seemed as if Damien Duff’s side got the hairdryer treatment at the break as they came flying out of the traps for the second half and on the hour mark halved the deficit through a penalty of their own.

Following a clumsy looking Rooney challenge on Tyreke Wilson, one of seven ex-Gypsies in the Shels squad, referee Paul McLoughlin had no hesitation pointing to the spot.

And much like his counterpart Flores, Jarvis showed great composure to net in his fourth Dublin derby in a row.

Tempers then flared not only on the pitch but also between the two benches as the Reds faithful thought they should have had a second penalty just minutes later.

Following a scramble in the area, starting with a spill from Chorazka who got down well to deny Shels skipper Mark Coyle, the ball fell kindly to attacking midfielder Martin who shot straight at Mills.

As the time ticked away, the tension-filled clash showed no signs of relenting and to their credit, the visitors showed tremendous determination to drag themselves over the line and earn a massive win.

The Gypsies have no time to bask in their victory as they face a quick turnaround to play host to managerless Dundalk on Monday in their rearranged fixture, hoping that tonight's morale boosting victory will properly kick start the Alan Reynolds era.

Shelbourne: Conor Kearns; Sean Gannon, Paddy Barrett (Shane Farrell, 74’), Gavin Molloy, Tyreke Wilson; John Martin (Dean Williams, 76’), Mark Coyle (John O’Sullivan, 65’), JJ Lunney (Jad Hakiki, 90+1’); Liam Burt, Will Jarvis, Sean Boyd

Subs not used: Lorcan Healy, Kameron Ledwidge, Shane Griffin, Keith Ward, Evan Caffrey

Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Luke Matheson, Jevon Mills, Aboubacar Keita, Paddy Kirk; Jordan Flores, Adam McDonnell (Brian McManus, 76’); Declan McDaid (Dylan Connolly, 70’) James Clarke, Dayle Rooney; James Akintunde (Danny Grant, 83’)

Subs not used: James Talbot, James McManus, Martin Miller, Sten Reinkort, Cian Byrne, Michael Lilander

Referee: Paul McLoughlin

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