League of Ireland Premier Division: Bohemians 1 (Rooney 36) Shelbourne 0
Summer soccer in all its glory. The only problem with a blazing sun setting throughout the first half of this north Dublin derby was it left Bohemians goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka largely blind to proceedings.
Shelbourne failed to take advantage. The defending champions’ fourth loss of the campaign leaves them sixth in the Premier Division, seven points adrift of leaders Shamrock Rovers after 16-year-old Michael Noonan scored a crucial goal for Stephen Bradley’s men down in Waterford.
Dayle Rooney’s 36th-minute penalty in front of 4,392 at Dalymount Park moves Bohemians up to third.
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Damien Duff watches on as Shelbourne fall to derby defeat to Bohs
Ross Tierney was denied the opening goal after taking Rooney’s pass in stride and rounding Shels goalkeeper Conor Kearns only to see his shot hit off Sean Gannon’s body on the goal line and out for a corner.
Referee Robert Harvey waved away the penalty shouts. This time. Harvey had a busy shift, dishing out six yellows and three red cards.
Rooney gave Bohs the lead by punishing Shelbourne for using a holding midfielder, Mark Coyle, as the central defender in a back five.
It proved the winning and losing of the game as Coyle was shown a straight red for pulling down Rooney after the winger dispossessed the Shels skipper.
Midfielders can get away with a heavy first touch, not the last man.
Kearns got a hand to Rooney’s penalty before it nestled in the net.
Harry Wood almost equalised inside two minutes but his shot skidded wide before the English winger was booked for diving after a clean tackle by Dawson Devoy.
Devoy was next to come close from distance but the sun was still a nuisance with Tierney stalling in the middle of a counter-attack to shield the glare and see whether the overlapping Niall Morahan was a Bohs or Shels player.
When the redevelopment of Dalymount is complete, sometime in the late 2020s, the pitch will be moved to face north-south.
The bumpy surface also played its part, saving Bohs in first-half injury time when Mipo Odubeko latched on to Kerr McInroy’s arcing pass. Taking advantage of Rob Cornwall’s slip, Odubeko evaded Seán Grehan only for the ball to bobble just before he blasted over the crossbar.
Another subplot throughout the evening was the sight of the suspended Shelbourne manager on the bank behind the goal. Damien Duff received a one-game suspension for picking up his fifth caution of the season last Friday against St Patrick’s Athletic.
Armed with an iPad and notebook there was no suggestion that Duff was relaying messages to his assistant coach Joey O’Brien in the dugout, unlike Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley who got an additional two-match ban for using a walkie-talkie in the stand last season.
The second half was a tactical affair. McInroy and Wood covered acres of grass to make up for the loss of Coyle as Odubeko tried to snatch an equaliser on the break.
Kearns kept Shels afloat with a superb save after Devoy and Tierney combined to give Rooney a chance to nail down all three points.
That left the door open for a late, late revival. Instead, Ali Coote’s second yellow card ensure that Shelbourne finished with nine men while assistant coach David McAllister was also dismissed from the line.
Shels can turn the page on Monday when they welcome Drogheda Untied to Tolka Park.
Elsewhere, St Pat’s climbed to fourth in the table after a 96th minute effort from Jamie Lennon secured a 3-2 victory over Cork City in a game that will be remembered for Mason Melia’s brilliant headed goal.
Bohemians: Chorazka; Morahan, Grehan, Cornwall, Flores; Rooney, Devoy, McDonnell (Buckley 74), Brennan (Parsons 65); Tierney (Meekison 89); Clarke (Whelan 73).
Shelbourne: Kearns; Gannon (Wilson 82), Coyle, Ledwidge, Norris (Kelly 82); Caffrey, McInroy, Lunney (Martin 57); O’Sullivan (Coote 57), Wood (Chapman 69); Odubeko.
Referee: Robert Harvey.
