Hunt the hero on night of incidents

Bohemians - 2 Shamrock Rovers - 2 After last year's difficulties in Inchicore the officials of both these clubs must have arrived last night hoping that, somehow, this game would pass off without incident.

Perhaps they'll fare better in even one of the three remaining meetings between the two sides during the months ahead. The odds must certainly be on their side for last night's encounter could hardly have involved more drama.

It started with scuffles between the two sets of supporters on the streets outside Dalymount but it will be for events inside, during the dying seconds of a passionate and often bruising contest that the night will be remembered.

There will scarcely be a more hotly disputed penalty this year than the one awarded when Paul McKeon decided Trevor Croly had deliberately handled Stephen Ward's cross in the 93rd and pointed to the penalty spot. Few will be better taken either, for Kevin Hunt scored coolly under considerable pressure to salvage a draw for the hosts that was greeted amongst the home side's supporters like a title-clinching victory.

For Hunt and his team-mates the goal meant a third draw in three home games but having been booed by a small number of supporters at half-time they left at the end to euphoric acclaim. Rovers players, in contrast, as well as assistant manager Liam O'Brien openly vented their fury on McKeon and Jason McGuinness was sent off even as the match official was hurriedly escorted to his dressing room.

Rovers started the game with just four of the 11 fielded for the corresponding fixture last year. That figure, though, is no great surprise given the upheaval around the club since. More startling was the fact that between injuries and departures, six of the home team from last April were also missing at the outset.

Kenny's selection last night was, of course, shaped by injuries to the likes of Glen Crowe, Colin Hawkins and Shay Kelly but on the evidence of this encounter effectively trading Mark Rutherford for James Keddy or allowing McGuinness to move across the city as part of the deal that brought Tony Grant to Dalymount don't look entirely clever pieces of business.

McGuinness, almost inevitably, marked his return to his former club with a second-half goal that appeared to leave Rovers with a fairly secure grip on the points. Terry Palmer's first-half effort, also scored at the far post from a poorly defended free, must have come as a severe shock to Kenny's men but it nevertheless took unti the second half before they showed any signs of rising to the challenge.

Liam Buckley had kept faith with the line-up that had dismantled Waterford in midweek but must have been relieved to see men who had won 4-0 then stay on level terms through an opening quarter in which Bohemians looked by far the more enterprising team.

Had Stephen Ward found the bottom corner instead of the foot of the left post after 50 seconds the rest of the contest that followed might have followed a very different course but Rovers survived on that occasion just as they did when Tony Grant sent a free header over the bar from six yards, shot straight at Mooney after being put through by Kevin Hunt and failed to find the target after doing well to capitalise of Stephen Gough's mistake.

After riding their luck so many times Rovers finally began to gain a foothold in the opposition's half where Trevor Molloy was the key figure in his side's counter- attacking moves. When Paul McNally fouled the former youth international out wide Keith O'Halloran floated in the free from which Palmer turned the ball home from a few yards out.

With Bohemians lacking any sort of serious authority at the time, Rovers set about building on their advantage and doubled the lead through McGuinness's glancing header eight minutes after the break.

Finally the home side came to life and when Ward turned Fergal Harkin's cross home 18 minutes from time the Rovers fans were left with a long and nervous wait for the final whistle.

Noel Mooney did them few favours, rarely looking comfortable as his goal was besieged during the closing stages but it was Croly or McKeon, depending on your point of view, who was the villain in the end and Hunt the hero for the locals.

BOHEMIANS: Gregg; Lynch, Caffrey, McNally, Webb (Harkin, 68 mins); Ryan, Hunt, Rice (Heary 68 mins), Keddy; Grant, Ward.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mooney; Croly, Palmer, Gough, Doyle; Rutherford (Grant, 79 mins), O'Brien, O'Halloran (O'Halloran, half-time), Caffrey (McDonnell, half-time); Molloy, Robinson.

Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).