Having conceded a 97th-minute goal in losing at home to Sligo Rovers on Friday, Enda Stevens broke Bohemian hearts as Shamrock Rovers inflicted the same on Alan Reynolds' team to win a full-blooded contest at Dalymount Park.
In their second meeting this season, with Bohs winning 3-2 in February, the hosts led from the 21st minute through Ross Tierney but couldn’t find the second to kill off the Hoops and McGovern, on the pitch for less than a minute, looked to have grabbed a point for the reigning champions.
But Stevens popped up in the home area to meet a Dylan Watts cross deep into added time to snap a two-game losing streak and send the away supporters housed in the Mono Stand into raptures.
Having taken the lead it’s not that Bohs didn’t have chance to kill off the game and had Rovers rattled for long periods but a 1-0 lead is a slender one and Rovers kept at it and rewarded with a come-from-behind win.
Before the off, the Gypsies made two changes from the win in Galway with striker Colm Whelan and midfielder Darragh Power drafted in, while Rovers made four from the loss to Sligo with former Irish internationals Graham Burke and Enda Stevens starting along with Arsenal-bound Victor Ozhianvuna and winger Danny Grant.
The big surprise was that keeper Ed McGinty, who is part of the Republic of Ireland squad for the upcoming friendlies against Qatar and Canada, kept his place in between the posts for the visitors.
And with Irish internationals Nathan Collins and Troy Parrott looking on from the stands on a gloriously sunny evening in North Dublin, McGinty was called into action in the 12th minute as Lee Grace was dispossessed, Devoy picked up the loose ball before shooting from outside the area.
McGinty saved the Rooney effort and then was sharp in denying Conor Parsons and then Dayle Rooney, who both tried to force home the rebound.
And it was Bohs who hit the front in the 21st minute a Power cross found Rooney who headed it across to Tierney, whose shot beat McGinty for his fourth of the season.
Bohemians were looking to make it four wins on the spin while the Hoops were hoping to avoid a third consecutive defeat and McGinty was the busier of the two keepers in the opening 45 minutes
And with Sadou Diallo and Devoy bossing the midfield, Bohs went for the jugular and on the half hour Parsons laid the ball off to Devoy whose shot went straight at McGinty who spilled the effort and was relieved that no Bohs players were on hand to seize on the rebound.
The home side were battling for every ball, pressing Rovers high up the pitch and Tierney set up Devoy who shot over as the home side stepped up the pressure and Rovers went to the break grateful to be only a goal behind.
Rovers lost Ozhianvuna just after the restart due to injury, replaced by Dylan Watts as Bohs resumed where they had left off and a cheeky lob by Rooney saw McGinty back peddling and relieved to see the ball land on the roof of the net.
Rovers had two great chances to level the game as the clock ticked towards the hour mark as Burke’s well-placed shot was parried by Kacper Chorazka who was up in time to block Arron Greene's rebound.
Minutes later a Jack Byrne corner was met by the diving Lee Grace whose header flashed narrowly wide.
Bohs had won just one of their last five at Dalymount Pat drawing four and losing once in a sequence going back to mid-March and they should really have gotten a second on 65 as a Rooney shot just missed the back post with sub-Douglas James-Taylor perhaps better placed in the middle.
And Bohs were to regret not getting a second as Rovers equalised in the 73rd minute as a Oluwatunmise Sobowale cross was met by McGovern, only on the pitch by a matter of 60 seconds and he put Rover’s level with a well-placed header.
The home side had a real chance to win it late on but Tierney, in on goal, blasted his effort straight into McGinty’s midriff and Rovers made them pay deep in injury time.
McGovern’s shot was brilliantly saved by Chorazka and moment later Stevens met Dylan Watts cross to head in the winner with time up on the clock
"That’s why we are champions" sang the Rovers fans at the final whistle.
The home support in contrast were less than enamoured by the result.
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Darragh Power, Patrick Hickey, Cian Byrne, Jordan Flores (Sam Todd (62); Sadou Diallo, (Adam McDonnell 79) Dawson Devoy; Connor Parsons (Harry Vaughan 71), Ross Tierney Dayle Rooney Colm Whelan (Douglas James Taylor 62)
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Oluwatunmise Sobowale, Lee Grace © Enda Stevens; Jake Mulraney Danny Grant , Graham Burke Matt Healy, Jack Byrne (John O’Sullivan 81) ; Aaron Greene (John McGovern 72), Victor Ozhianvuna.
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan
Att: 4,422.
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