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| Trevor Molloy celebrates one of five Bohemian's goals that helped deliver the title on a dramatic final day (© Allsport) |
Bohemians became Irish champions today for the first time since 1978, by crushing Kilkenny 5-0 at Buckley Park as Shelbourne crashed 1-0 at home to Cork.
Ollie Cahill’s 44th minute strike, sealed at the end of a lightning counter-attack, meant Cork qualify for European football next season, and Bohs leapfrogged Shels to glory.
A run of six straight wins for Rody Collins’s men gives Bohs the chance to emulate Shels’ double-heroics of last year, when they take on Longford Town in the FAI Cup Final later this month.
Perhaps appropriately for a team that has limped over the final furlong of the season, Shelbourne never looked like overcoming a Cork side that hasn't lost since Liam Murphy took over as manager nine games ago.
Even more predictably, Glen Crowe was on target twice in Kilkenny, to bring his total for the season to a record 25 goals.Davy Morrison, Mark Rutherford, and TrevorMolloy grabbed the other goals for the Gypsies.
At the opposite end of the table, a 59th minute strike from veteran Derek Swan gave UCD a 2-1 victory in Galway, condemning Finn Harps, who drew 1-1 at home to Longford, to relegation.
Bray Wanderers
3-1St Patrick's Athletic
Carlisle Grounds
Finn Harps
1-1Longford Town
Finn Park
Galway United
1-2UCD
Terryland Park
Kilkenny City
0-5Bohemians
Buckley Park
Shamrock Rovers
1-0Derry City
Morton Stadium
Shelbourne
0-1Cork City
Tolka Park