Angry scenes as Shelbourne seal Europe with stunning comeback against Bohemians

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THE SCENES COULD not have been more contrasting at full time.

Shelbourne players stood in front of their delirious away supporters taking in the acclaim and basking in the confirmation of European football.

Goals in the 87th and 97th minute from Harry Wood and Kerr McInroy, respectively, completed a stunning comeback and 3-2 win over Bohemians.

Up until Harry Wood’s equaliser three minutes from normal time the atmosphere was hopeful but tense.

When Kerr McInroy then strode onto a breaking ball and rifled home a sensational shot from 35 yards things then turned nasty.

The home players were beaten and broken, but their fans were angry as they left the pitch and headed for the dressing room.

There was abuse and vitriol aimed in their direction while some also turned their ire in the direction of the directors’ box.

There was also added ugliness of one stray intruder on the pitch getting into a confrontation with the Shels contingent almost at the tunnel.

Amid the dizzying drama, you’d almost forget Bohs had put themselves in such a position of power with two first half goals.

Now they stay fifth and will only get a top four finish if they better St Patrick’s Athletic result next Saturday. Fourth is only enough provided Shamrock Rovers beat Cork City in the FAI Cup final.

Talk about bitter sweet.

St Pat’s go to Tolka Park on the final day and while Shels have European football confirmed Joey O’Brien’s side could yet finish second if they win and Derry City lose.

Wood’s glancing header in the 87th minute would have been enough for third as it goes, a player whose name is etched in club lore after his league-winning goal on the final night of last season. He has another glorious piece of legend to be celebrated.

Just three days after late Uefa Conference League heartache away to Shkendija in North Macedonia, Shels were delirious in this corner of north Dublin that belongs to Bohs.

Shels could have been forgiven for a sluggish start given they only returned home from Uefa Conference League action in North Macedonia in the early hours of Friday morning, but the manner in which they conceded in those first-half goals would have jarred with O’Brien.

It was the basics that let them down, and not being worn down or having resolve broken. Set pieces, and not winning the first, second, or even third connections put them on the back foot.

Two Dayle Rooney corner kicks caused problems in the box that the away side’s defence were unable to deal with.

The first, on 17 minutes, saw Jordan Flores climb above Kameron Ledwidge and his scuffed header was then directed further right by Leigh Kavanagh. There to turn the ball home at corner of the six-yard box with a reaction shot on the half turn was Ross Tierney.

A late corner proved fatal against Shkendija on Thursday and now and early one had their boisterous away support hoping to see their side provide signs of life.

Four minutes later, though, Bohs doubled their lead and this time Shels gave more than a helping hand as JJ Lunney’s attempt clearance on Flores’ header from another deep corner flew into the roof of the net rather than the dilapidated, moss-infiltrated concrete terrace behind the goal.

The cracks appearing in the Shels defence were clear but, to their credit, they didn’t capitulate under the pressure that Bohs maintained. Slowly they began to get a foothold on the game and when Niall Morahan gave away a sloppy pass in the middle of the pitch it allowed a swift counter attack.

Dan Kelly drove forward, the Bohs defenced were somehow bunched together around the centre of the 18-yard-box and that allowed for enough space for John Martin to drift into on the right. Kelly timed his scooped pass to perfection and the Shels forward was able to set himself and fire a shot low and hard into the opposite corner.

Game on, and there was still time in the final five minutes off the half for both sides to half efforts cleared off the line. Shels came close to equalising from a corner of their own when Paddy Barrett’s header was smashed away by Tierney while Bohs captain Dawson Devoy weaved his way into space in the box at the other end only for Kelly to retreat and head his curler to safety.

Both sides made changes at the break and O’Brien’s intent was clear by bringing on McInroy and Milan Mbeng to offer more penetration from the middle and pace down the right.

By the 61st minute striker Douglas James-Taylor was also on for Bohs along with club captain Keith Buckley in the middle. Shels also threw on the livewire Mipo Odubeko in attack.

A fresh impetus was expected and the changes almost delivered for the visitors on 64 minutes when Mipo laid off a pass for the onrushing Harry Wood to smash a powerful shot inside the D on the edge of the box. There were a handful of Bohs bodies in front, the strike look to take a small deflection on the way through as goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka stuck out a firm arm to direct the ball over the ball.

The Bohs lead was slender and vulnerable, but the manner of that total late collapse was breathtaking.

McInroy was pivotal to it all, delivering a pin-point cross for Wood and then rifling home that killer blow for Bohs.

Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Niall Morahan, Leigh Kavanagh, Cian Byrne, Jordan Flores (John Mountney HT); Dawson Devoy (captain), Adam McDonnell (Keith Buckley 61); Connor Parsons (Douglas James-Taylor 61), Ross Tierney, Dayle Rooney; James Clarke.

Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Sean Gannon, Lewis Temple (Milan Mbeng HT), Paddy Barrett (captain), Kameron Ledwidge (James Norris 82), Dan Kelly; Harry Wood, Jack Henry-Francis (Evan Caffrey 73), JJ Lunney (Kerr McInroy HT), Ali Coote (Mipo Odubeko 58), John Martin.

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