Bohemians complete their side of bargain

It takes hard work to reach the summit, but the view is nice once you get there. Bohemians were reacquainted with such lofty heights yesterday when, in the unlikely rural setting of sun-kissed Buckley Park, a season spent toiling on muddy pitches and playing catch-up with long-time Premier League leaders Shelbourne ended with the Phibsboro club claiming their first league title in 23 years.

To be honest, if you were to hand pick a match to finish off a campaign, then a deciding one against already relegated Kilkenny City, this season's whipping boys would fit the bill very nicely, thank you very much.

Bohemians, like true professionals, did what they had to do - win - and when Cork City did them the favour of beating Shelbourne in the simultaneous match some 80 miles away in Dublin, it was time for their fans to rediscover the art of celebration.

Apart from an uneasy first 30 minutes, this was a game that Bohemians dominated.

Paul Byrne strutted around the midfield sector and did a good impression of Roy Keane, and up front Glenn Crowe showed why he is the deadliest finisher in domestic football.

All in all, it was a cocktail that was too potent for a struggling Kilkenny side who have become accustomed to relegation since shortly after Christmas.

In fairness, Kilkenny, aware of their limitations, dug their heels in and held out for just over half an hour, but once Bohs found a way through, then there was only going to be one outcome.

When the opening goal did come, it almost caught Bohemians' supporters by surprise as much as it did the Kilkenny defence.

Having pulled off two quite superb saves to deny Byrne prior to the goal, goalkeeper Billy Walsh - also his team's stand-in manager - was caught out by an unkind bounce when David Morrison's left-foot shot from 30 yards found the back of the net in the 31st minute. Indeed, a bigger roar accompanied the news, conveyed by numerous handheld transistor radios, that Cork had scored just as half-time approached. And so it was that Bohemians had an extra spring in their steps as they returned for the second-half. Within 21 seconds, that confidence was demonstrated in the most spectacular way as Crowe got on the end of a Trevor Molloy flick to fire the ball past the hapless Walsh.

Crowe is a true goal-sniffer, and he was unintentionally responsible for returning Molloy's earlier assistance for his side's third goal.

Having beaten two men, Crowe, on the edge of the box, played an exquisite chip shot that had Walsh clutching at air - but the ball rebounded off the cross bar and Molloy was on hand to head home.

It wasn't quite the signal for an uneasiness among Bohemians's supporters to disappear (they still had an ear to happenings in Tolka Park), but the team played like free spirits thereafter.

Byrne continued to orchestrate matters and it was only a matter of time before the Kilkenny defence was again breached.

In the 66th minute, the inevitable fourth goal arrived. Mark Rutherford played an intelligent one-two with substitute Alex Nesovic and drilled the ball past Walsh. In fact, the Kilkenny goalkeeper was to face more and more pressure as the Bohemians party got closer to reality, with Crowe his prime tormentor.

Requiring one more goal to break the club's all-time goalscoring record in a season, and also to break Jonathan Speake's all-time league record, Crowe's team-mates increasingly served as providers. Nesovic set him up but the league's top marksman fired straight at Walsh, and then Molloy became provider only to see Walsh bring off a magnificent save.

Crowe's just rewards arrived in the final moments. Tony O'Connor played a lovely ball through the middle of the home team's defence and Crowe reacted quickest to reach the ball first and then finish off with the sort of clinical finish that has become familiar to opposing defences for much of this season.

KILKENNY CITY: Walsh; Brennan, Purdy, Mulcahy (Tully 72 mins), Brunton ( C Murphy 81 mins), Johnson, McGrath (Fennelly 82 mins), S Murphy, Comerford, O'Hanlon, O'Byrne.

BOHEMIANS: Russell; O'Connor, Maher, Hill, Webb (O'Brien 56 mins), Morrison Nesovic 61 mins), Caffrey (Shelley 80 mins), Byrne, Rutherford, Crowe, Molloy.

Referee: J McDermott (Dublin).