IT’S GREENE FOR GO
Winger gets Rovers off to perfect start with his late derby winner
THE opening round of games in the 100th League of Ireland season yielded five identical 1-0 scorelines, but no one left it later than Shamrock Rovers.
On an afternoon most foul at Dalymount Park, the clock had ticked into the 93rd minute when Aaron Greene seized on a rebound off James Talbot and slammed the ball high into the net for the winner.
A year ago, Greene was harshly sent off in this fixture but he’s since returned to score crucial goals in both FAI Cup and League wins for Rovers over the old enemy.
And while Rovers almost ran out of road amid the hail, rain and gales, they were the better side on a pitch that was far from perfect.
Jack Byrne glided about the ruts and rivets, demanding the ball and looking to thread passes into dangerous areas.
He was still going strong at the death when Rovers pinned 10-man Bohs back and probed relentlessly for a winner.
The impact of Dylan Watts from the bench was vital in the final 15 minutes as his attacking thrusts twisted Bohs in and out to the point where they finally cried enough.
It was Watts who worked the opening on the right flank which led to the late drama as Aaron McEneff’s strike was too hot for Talbot to handle and Greene, following up with a striker’s instinct, pounced.
Stephen Bradley, the Rovers head coach, felt justice was done.
‘In the Cup semi-final we managed the game really well but this was our best performance from all the wins, in terms that we managed it well but played really well too,’ he said. ‘If we had been a bit more careful in the first half we could have been two up and in the second half their defender makes a great clearance off the line from Dylan, who was unlucky not to start.
‘We kept going and got our goal but in terms of overall play it was the best we have played here in a long time.
‘I was never concerned but you want to be more ruthless and we needed to score. I felt the way we were playing, our work rate and our chances, I felt we were in control and calm.’
Keith Long of Bohs felt the hurt of the late concession. ‘It’s very difficult to stomach at this moment in time because in the 93rd minute you think you’re nearly there.
‘We dug in and made life difficult for them, particularly going down to 10 men. James Talbot’s handling all day was very clean in the conditions until one got away from him. ‘I think we as a group will be better as a result of today but it’s very difficult to take any positives after losing the game in the manner we did.’
Long offered no excuses for the red card to full-back Andy Lyons, whose expulsion left Bohs a man light for the final 25 minutes.
Lyons put himself in a tricky spot when he dived inside two minutes in the Rovers penalty area and was rightly cautioned.
‘Andy’s were two yellow cards. He went down in the box. He has to learn,’ said Long.
There was drama before kick-off as RTÉ pulled the plug on their live coverage for health and safety grounds as the gales shuddered the ‘Dalyer’ enclosures.
Bohs suffered a blow when experienced striker Dinny Corcoran tweaked a muscle in the warm-up and was replaced by Andre Wright.
Corcoran would have relished the blood and thunder nature of the trench warfare and was missed.
There was an injury too to Talbot, who completed the game but left the ground on crutches, his right foot encased in a boot.
Rovers didn’t escape unscathed either as Joey O’Brien dislocated his shoulder early in the second half.
It wasn’t a spiky sort of game as the wind played the part of a spoilsport before the heavens opened after half an hour and hailstones pelted down from leaden skies.
In Stygian conditions, it’s about staying on your feet and avoiding mistakes, but there was little chance of free-flowing football.
The better chances fell to Rovers as Green went close twice before teeing up Ronan Finn for a volley, which slewed wide.
Keith Ward tested Alan Mannus with a fine free-kick but most of the play was congested around the middle third.
Bohs were holding their own and threatening at times on the flank through the impressive Kris Twardek when Lyons slid in rashly on Graham Burke.
Not long after, Bradley thrust Watts and Neil Farrugia into the minefield and the response was instant.
McEneff had two shots on goal, before Watts was twice denied, first by James Finnerty and then by Anto Breslin, who hooked off the line.
Bohs were on the back-foot and crying out for the final whistle when Greene applied the late decisive thrust.
Bohemians: Talbot; Lyons, Cornwall, Finnerty, Breslin; Twardek, Buckley, Lunny, Wade-Slater (Mandriou 62); Ward (Barker 68); Wright. sent off: Lyons (65). shamrock rovers: Mannus; O’Brien (Scales 55), Lopes, Grace, Lafferty (Farrugia 75); McEneff, O’Neill, Byrne, Finn; Burke (Watts 75), Greene. scorer: Greene 90+3.