Full Time in Dalymount Park where it has finished 2-2 between Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers in a fiercely competitive Dublin Derby this evening.

The first half was filled with frantic footballing brilliance, as both sides produced a half of real quality and intensity. No doubt a sold-out Dalymount Park added immensely to the fixture, with both sets of fans producing an incredible amount of noise throughout the half.

The opening ten minutes were played at a ferocious tempo, as both sides looked to stun their opponents straight out of the blocks. It was the visitors who looked most comfortable, as they limited Bohs to the occasional touch of the ball inside the opening minutes. The Hoops enjoyed 73% of the possession in the opening 15 minutes; a statistic that persisted throughout much of the half.

Possession aside, however, it was Bohemians who looked more dangerous in front of goal. A 9th minute volley from Adam McDonnell was the first of three dangerous Bohs attempts in the opening 45 minutes. The midfielder’s strike was inches away from the target, and would have been a fitting goal to epitomise the intensity of the opening exchanges.

15 minutes later, Jonathan Afolabi had his effort from 20 yards saved by Pohls in the Rovers net, but had he looked to his right he would have seen teammate McDonnell wide open in space. The number 9 capitalised on a sloppy pass from Roberto Lopes in the Rovers defence, but was unable to make the league leaders pay for their error.

Just when it looked as if the early tensions in the game had petered out, a 43rd minute tackle from Grant Horton on Graham Burke sparked a fiery exchange between both sides, management staff and a sold-out Dalymount Park. Burke’s reaction to the tackle only added fuel to the fire, and as a result he was shown a yellow card, along with Bohs’ McDonnell and tackler Grant Horton.

As both sides jogged down the tunnel for a half-time breather, it was clear the second-half would see more of the same fiery passion!

Just two minutes into the second half, Shamrock Rovers broke the deadlock through a brilliant front-post header from Neil Farrugia, who proved himself a persistent threat down the Hoops left-hand side.

Just five minutes later, Shamrock Rovers doubled their lead through a superb strike from Markus Poom. A dangerous Jack Byrne free-kick ricocheted its way to Poom, who caught the ball sweetly on the volley to power it into the top-right corner of the Bohs net.

Bohemians responded brilliantly however, constantly asking questions of the Rovers defence, as they stared down the barrell of yet another 2-0 defeat to the reigning champions.

Bohs made this pressure count in the 66th minute as they reduced the deficit to just one through a brilliant strike from Jonathan Afolabi. The Bohs striker capitalised on a Roberto Lopes mistake, as the defender got the ball stuck at his feet. Afolabi poached the ball and produced a first-time finish of sheer quality, firing the ball with his left foot past Pohls in the Rovers net to reignite the fixture.

8 minutes later, James Clarke drew the sides level as he slotted a tidy finish past the right hand of Pohls to lift the roof off of Dalymount Park. Clarke’s strike was a real momentum swinger, as it was the home side who looked more likely to go on and take the victory. Substitute Clarke made a significant impact on the game, coming close just minutes before his equalizing strike.

Dylan Connolly came close to giving Bohemians the winner in the 84th minute, but his effort was met by a brilliant save from Pohls in the Rovers net.

It was a Dublin Derby that lived up to all expectations, both sides producing some wonderful football and some incredible drama. Both sides take a point, which is a fair result after a ferociously intense game, defined by a busy second half!

Full Time in Dalymount Park, Bohemians 2-2 Shamrock Rovers