Rhys Brennan the hero as Bohemians pull off stunning Dublin derby comeback win over Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght

The Irish Sun

21-04-2025

EVEN taking the unpredictability of derbies into account, this one was bonkers.
The Easter Monday Dublin Derby saw
2
Bohemians shocked Rovers after coming back from 2-0 down to win the LOI clash
2
Rhys Brennan netted an injury time winner to shock Tallaght Stadium
Dawson Devoy and Ross Tierney drew them level before 18-year-old Rhys Brennan scored in the sixth minute of injury time to earn Bohemians a victory.
The first half saw
Bohs fans might have agreed - the 'Rennie out' chants have been heard from them this season - and booked their team off at half-time.
Reynolds admitted: 'It's not nice, is it? It's something that I suppose both sets of fans joined in on, so it's not nice to get.
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'But look, I've been around it long enough and as long as they're with me, the players and the staff, I'll get on with it.
'We have to win supporters...I have to win supporters over, that's clear, and it's a fight. But I suppose I've been fighting all my life so I'll keep fighting with this.
'You can see the celebration at the end from all the players and all the staff, we're in this together.
'We know there is noise outside but it's irrelevant to us. We know we're tight and we're strong and that will help.'
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By full-time, it was a role reversal as the Bohs fans remained in Tallaght long after the final whistle cheering players on their warmdown and singing '2-0 and you f**ked it up'.
And it was miracle stuff.
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Bohs have not won an away game where they trailed by two goals or more in 24 years. Yes, that was the famous 6-4 against Rovers when they were 4-1 behind at half-time.
Reynolds admitted: 'They're in there and they're delighted and we'll let them enjoy the moment, that's the big thing we said.
'To be beat these at Tallaght, I don't think it's been done since 2019, so to do is great and the way we done it shows the character.
"I know there's fans have question marks over a lot of the stuff that I'm doing but the players and the staff, we're in it together, and for me that's the most important thing.'
Reynolds admitted that even at 2-2, he would have taken a draw. But he insisted he thought they could get back into the game the way the second half was going.
Trailing 2-0 at half time after Josh Honohan and Michael Noonan scored two goals in 150 seconds, he changed formation from 3-4-3 to 4-3-3.
He added: 'I felt after 55 minutes, it started to swing. We started to get control of the game and obviously getting the goal at the right time with Dawson.'
It started on 70 minutes when Devoy showed quick feet in the area to get a shot away after Tierney had headed a Rovers' clearance back into the box.
And Tierney then sealed the comeback on 81 minutes when he burst through onto a Colm Whelan pass and coolly slotted beyond Ed McGinty.
Yet there was still time for a winner as both teams pressed forward.
But it went to Bohemians when teenager Brennan scored a brilliant goal with the aid of a deflection, after his initial shot had been saved by McGinty.
And it ensured a nightmare ending for the Hoops who will have an inquest to understand how all three goals were conceded.
Devoy had too much space for the first, Tierney for the second, and quite why Brennan was able to run clear onto a Whelan pass for the third in injury time was bad defending.
Rovers' boss Stephen Bradley admitted: 'Really basic defensive errors, stuff we rarely do. We gave up silly spaces and it cost us
'The decisions we made in and out of possession really hurt us in the second half - we were miles away from what we can be.
'Two up with 20 minutes left, the defensive decisions we made cost us.'
While Bradley rued how the game ended, he did also stress the positives from the first half when Rovers were in control and Noonan, 16, scored his first League of Ireland goal - and it is one that we will see again and again on television.
A run from inside his own half and a shot disappeared into the smoke billowing from the pyro let off moments earlier, before he did too to celebrate.
It was a brilliant goal as he picked up the ball from a clearance and raced forward as James McManus chased him and Rovers' Aaron Greene made a decoy run.
And that allowed Noonan to run towards the smoke and, with no visiting defender making an effort to tackle him, he coolly slotted the ball just inside Chorazka's left-hand post.
Bradley added: 'He is getting better and better. The goal had a bit of everything, pace, power and quality at the end.
'He is working extremely hard behind the scenes he just needs to keep working. Michael's goal was excellent. He is working hard and he will only get better. He is 16.
'There are lots of positives but is hard to f**king see them now as we lost the game.'
Noonan's goal just moments after Honohan's opener - the reason why the pyro had been lit - when he cut in from the left, passed Devoy who pulled out of a tackle, and drilled home from 20-yards.
With the two goal lead, it looked like a Rovers win. Indeed, they could have had a third as Honohan also crashed a shot from distance against the crossbar.
Yet, Bohs produced the type of comeback that will live long in the memory.
Shamrock Rovers 2 - 3 Bohemians
Sun Star Man - Ross Tierney (Bohemians)
Shamrock Rovers: McGinty 6; Cleary 6, Lopes 6, Grace 6; Matthews 6 (Grant 85, 6), Watts 7 (J O'Sullivan 85, 6), Healy 7, Honohan 7; Byrne 7 (Nugent 72, 6); Greene 7 (Burke 72, 6), Noonan 7 (Gaffney 79, 6).
Bohemians: Chorazka 7; Grehan 7, Kavanagh 7, Flores 7; Mountney 5 (Whelan 67, 6), McManus 5 (Morahan ht, 6), Devoy 7; Rooney 7; Tierney 8 (McDonnell 89, 6), Parsons 6 (Brennan 52, 6); Clarke 6 (Buckley 67, 6).
Referee: R Harvey (Dublin) 6.