Tolka Park was buzzing for a Dublin derby that ignited ten minutes beforehand with the absence of Damien Duff clearly not improving relations between the respective management teams.
Alan Reynolds stormed into Duff’s office for an altercation before a derby here in 2024, but the tensions were visible to the sold-out crowd – which included quite a few tourists – when Bohs players and staff went into the half where Shelbourne were still warming up to applaud the away support behind the goal.
They were struck by a ball that was fired their way by a Shels backroom member and, within seconds, a high-energy shoving match was underway with staff looking to be more energised than the players.
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There was round two on the way to the tunnel with Reynolds and Shels assistant Dave McAllister getting up close and personal. Footage showed McAllister appearing to react after being approached by Reynolds.
It whetted the appetite but the match was similar in the sense that it was a fierce contest but nobody could get the freedom to execute a clean strike.
Shels had switched to a back four so the teams operated very similar set-ups and effectively cancelled each other out.
New Bohs recruit Zane Myers wriggled free to get a few left-footed shots away, but it was all a bit messy despite the presence of gifted midfielders on either side. Dawson Devoy gave glimpses of what he brings to the Bohs party and Harry Wood tried his best too, yet pathways were generally closed off and the interval demanded inspiration to open things up.
A scuffle between players and management
League of Ireland Review Show – Monday, March 16
But it was more of the same, with Bohs in the ascendency without ever really converting that to clearcut chances. The best moment came when Myers, who looks a livewire, outpaced James Norris and teed up Ross Tierney for a right footer that drew a smart stop from Wessel Speel.
Shels looked to be feeling the exertions of a fourth game in ten days, and O’Brien needed to reshape his left side and tweak things in midfield to try and get a foothold in proceedings. They just about succeeding in doing that without ever looking like hurting a seriously improved Bohs rearguard that was on its way to a sixth clean sheet in seven matches.
The tussle before the match
The combination of Patrick Hickey and Sam Todd were able to deal with the physicality of Sean Boyd and when Shels went for different options, the visitors managed it comfortably enough and were able to push on higher in the search for three points.
Devoy was naturally at the heart of it and his stoppage time effort was pushed away by Speel. The subsequent corner found Hickey who was unable to be the hero for the second time in four days; his header was able to bounce through a crowd of bodies to leave Bohs ruing their inability to get a final touch.
Still, coming away disappointed from a draw with a team that finished above the Gypsies last term cements the view that Bohs are becoming a much more intimidating proposition on the pitch.
Leigh Kavanagh involved in a shoving match
More words were exchanged between the benches at the end with Reynolds and Shels goalkeeping coach Paul Skinner lingering the longest. We can expect more fireworks when this rivalry is renewed.
Shelbourne: Speel, Gannon, Rossi, Ledwidge, Norris (Kelly 65); Henry-Francis (Lunney 72), McInroy; Caffrey, Wood (Freitas 89), Lundgren (Coote 65); Boyd (Martin 72)
Bohemians: Chorazka, Power, Hickey, Todd, Mullen; Flores (McDonnell 74), Devoy; Myers (Strods 74), Tierney, Parsons (Vaughan 82); Whelan
Ref: A O’Dowd