Bohs stun Shamrock Rovers with first half Dalymount blitz
It wasn't quite the rehabilitation of love towards Alan Reynolds but recording his fifth win in six against Shamrock Rovers has altered the outlook of Bohemians fans.
Approaching the Jodi Stand of Dalymount Park at half-time and full-time had been like running the gauntlet for their Waterford-born manager earlier this season yet results have warmed the reception.
Two first-half goals by Dayle Rooney and James Clarke delivered a win for the Gypsies that at least avoids what was in danger of becoming a procession to a fifth title in six years for Rovers.
Had the Hoops racked up their ninth straight win in 10 matches, then a 15-point buffer would have stretched between the teams with Rovers having 13 games left.
Instead, the gap is now nine points.
Not an insurmountable task, given Bohemians have two games in hand to contest when their neighbours are immersed in European action during July.
Drogheda United were supposed to be as well until coming unstuck over multi-club regulations but they, along with Derry City, will feel they can swell the volume of contenders in a title race that was descending into a Shamrock stroll.
Defeat for Rovers ends an 11-game unbeaten sequence in which they accumulated 27 from a possible 33 points.
That golden trail began after losing at home to Bohemians on Easter Monday, an occasion where the visitors came from two goals down at Tallaght to nick victory in stoppage-time.
An identical scenario unfolded for the home side in this rematch, only it didn't end in a dramatic collapse. Bohs were not alone deserving of their two-goal interval lead but created the closest chance after the interval when Dawson Devoy's shot was hacked off the line by Hoops captain Pico Lopes.
That opening half blitz ensured the manager was greeted on his way down the tunnel with a chorus from his own fans - if not acclamation then at least acceptance. 'Oh Alan Reynolds, he used to be shit but he's alright now.' He may be required to secure a first trophy for Bohs since 2010 to win over the doubters but his ability to stall the stride of their deadly rivals endears him to a certain portion of the hardcore.
The team that don't do draws were at their swashbuckling best from the off here and fortunate that some of the Rovers finery, including Lopes, endured off-days.
Just 100 seconds were clocked when the net of Ed McGinty was rippled. When Lopes got his feet in a tangle trying to intercept a pass from the left towards James Clarke, the striker pounced to cut across him and lay the ball into the path of Rooney.
His first-time shot took a slight deflection off the back-pedalling Lopes to fly high beyond the 'keeper.
Uncharacteristically, Lopes and Matt Healy were conceding unnecessary corners and it contributed to whipping the 4,421 crowd into further delirium.
Ross Tierney hooked his volley wide as Bohs increased the pressure while John Mountney was inches from producing a goal-of-the-season candidate with a long-distance shot after Josh Honohan was dispossessed.
Hoops boss Stephen Bradley even signalled for McGinty to engineer a timeout, so rattled were Rovers and it got worse with a peach of a second for Bohs.
Neat interplay between Devoy and Tierney enabled the latter to dash from the right into the box and square for Clarke to beat Dan Cleary to the decisive touch.
Although Bradley introduced sprung 16-year-old Michael Noonan for the second half, he was an isolated figure. All Bohs stopper was forced into was a low save from another sub, Dylan Watts, on the hour mark.
No need for alarm in the Rovers ranks, only bullishness from Bohs about making them work for their crown.
BOHEMIANS: K Chorazka; N Morahan, R Cornwall, J Flores; L Smith, D Devoy, A McDonnell (K Buckley 64), J Mountney; D Rooney, R Tierney; J Clarke.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: E McGinty; D Cleary (V Ozhianvuna 80), R Lopes, L Grace (M Kovalevskis 87); D Grant, M Healy, A McEneff (D Mandroiu 53), J Honohan; J Byrne (D Watts 53), G Burke; A Greene (M Noonan 46).
Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan (Cork).
Attendance: 4,421
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