Ten Conclusions from Bohemians vs Shamrock Rovers

1)It was always going to be a tough ask for both sets of players to instantly recover from their games against Cork and St Pats respectively but the Dalymount Pitch didn't help. We all know that the voluntary ground staff do Trojan work around the League of Ireland but the surface just wasn't suited to a free flowing passing game. Trevor Croly was right to say in his post match analysis that the bumpy pitch may have actually hurt Bohs' chances because against ten men their passing game could have really stretched the Hoops tired legs.

2) The Rovers manager picked a team that was set up for a battle and that's what they produced. Injuries along with two games in quick succession obviously influenced his tactical approach but Bohs fans could only have been encouraged to see some of Rovers better passers like Finn, McCabe and O’Connor warming the bench. Again the pitch may also have influenced his thinking.

3) Derek Foran has been receiving some well earned positive reviews since his summer arrival from Dundalk but he had an absolute nightmare yesterday. His scything foul on Chris Lyons alone was almost enough to warrant a red card. Less than 5 mins later he performed another hatchet job on Karl Moore. A red card all day long.

4) Despite Bohs' numerical advantage for almost an hour they still lack cutting edge in the final third.  Loosing striker Chris Lyons changed the dynamic of their play up front as the ex UCD man was impressive before Foran's poor tackle cut his day short. Karl Moore's thunderous strike from distance was the only time they tested Barry Murphy in the whole game.

5)Bohs are in a much better shape than this time last season. If he continues to develop at this rate Luke Byrne will undoubtedly be attracting interest from across the water. An absolutely smashing left back who is equally comfortable in defense as he is going forward . Roberto Lopes looks more comfortable at center half than at full back and he will only improve playing next to the talismanic Owen Heary. The Bohs captain rolled back the years yet again with another virtuoso display epitomized by his last ditch tackle on Ciaran Kilduff. A living legend.

6) Speaking of Kilduff, his introduction sparked some much needed life into the ten men. He was my tip to be league top scorer this season and he has been impressive so far already. He was a willing runner down the channels and more importantly took the pressure of his midfield and back four. He was always a threat since his introduction. Still though Rovers haven't scored in their last three matches against Bohs.

7) It's always hard to evaluate a team playing against ten men but Stephen Traynor had a quietly impressive game for the Gypsies even before the red. It's a big season for the ex Belvedere man as he will be expected to help fill the void from Keith Ward's departure. He did the simple things well , collected the ball from the back four and made some vital interceptions. Him and Ryan McEvoy could be a very effective midfield partnership this season.

8) Rovers fans dont need to be reminded of their last trip to Dalymount where they were destroyed 4-0. Credit to Trevor Croly and his staff because this is a very different Rovers team. Playing with ten men for an hour on a bad pitch away to your fiercest rivals was always going to be a tough test and it's one that they passed. Jason McGuinness was arguably the signing that they needed most this season and he proved his worth yesterday. They still haven't conceded in the league so far and never really looked like doing so yesterday. They have been earning plaudits for their free scoring form in the League and Setanta Cup so far but this was a different side to the Hoops, one that was missing all last season. They are made of sterner stuff this campaign. 

9)I have absolutely no idea where the fourth official got his stoppage time from...in both halves! The first half saw a red card and two substitutions with only one added minute..odd! The second half saw four yellows, four subs and Jason McGuinness needing lengthy treatment twice...by my logic that's a bare minimum of four minutes. What extra time was given? Three. Time for some new watches lads.

 

10) It wasn't a great Dublin Derby by any stretch but these two sides need each other and the league is better for having them both. Very few other games create that type of atmosphere.