Bohemians -v- Shamrock Rovers

• Simon O'Gorman
• Mon, Oct 04 2010


Shamrock Rovers travel to Dalymount Park on Tuesday night for a Dublin derby which will go a long way to deciding the destination of the 2010 Airtricity League title. (Kick-off 7.05 pm - Live on RTE)

A win for Rovers would put eight points between the teams and virtually assure the Hoops their first league title in sixteen years. But should Bohemians take the points the gap drops to two with more than enough time left for Bohs to have a serious chance of taking the title themselves.

But far more enthralling than the mathematics is the recent form of both sides and that most crucial of elements, psychology. For the majority of this season Shamrock Rovers have performed like champions in waiting. But in the past three weeks they have lost twice on their travels conceding eight goals in the process. A sign of potentially lethal jitters or nothing more than bad luck and circumstance?

Bohemians meanwhile have never looked like the indestructible force that brought them the titles of 2008 and 2009. And yet, here they are, a team packed with players that know how to win the league and still in the shake up for a third consecutive title.

Advocates of the Tallaght side will point to the Hoops 3-0 dismantling of Bohemians at Tallaght back in August. They will point to their side’s greater consistency and the manner in which they have dispatched lesser opponents when they are on their game.

The Phibsboro faithful will look at their sides proven ability to win when the price of failure is at its most intimidating height.

It is a game that Pat Fenlon knows his side must win. Not a time, then, to have five key players sidelined through injury and a further two suspended. Mark Quigley and Chris O’Connor, sent off in Friday’s game against Bray Wanderers, will sit this one out. As will the injured Gareth McGlynn, a central theme in many of Bohemians’ most creative performances, and defenders Owen Heary, Jason McGuinness and Stephen Gray.

Extraordinarily, Michael O’Neill will also be shy of two key players due to red cards on Friday night. Combative midfielder Robert Bayly and the newly discovered solution to Rovers’ right back problems, Danny Murphy will both be suspended. But perhaps most significantly Rovers will again be without captain and centre back Dan Murray.

Rovers fans have been slow to warm to Murray, a player who can appear ponderous and is susceptible to the ‘ball over the top’. But he is a born leader and, crucially, he has been through the white heat of a successful title run in before, with Cork City in 2005.

It’s impossible to say how this game will pan out, only the crucible of the game itself can sufficiently test the variables. But one suspects that the winners of this game will believe themselves worthy of the title. And that alone may become the decisive factor in the race for the 2010 league crown.



Bohemians
Injured: Gareth McGlynn, Owen Heary, Jason McGuinness, Anto Murphy, Stephen Gray.
Doubtful: None.
Suspended: Mark Quigley, Chris O’Connor.

Shamrock Rovers
Injured: Pat Sullivan, Dan Murray, Sean O’Connor.
Doubtful: Thomas Srewart.
Suspended: Danny Murphy, Robert Bayly.

Referee: Alan Kelly.

Extratime prediction: Anything could happen so we’re backing the draw, 1-1.