Draw sees Bohs and Pat’s lose ground in their Euro quest as sparks fly in Dublin derby

Both Bohs, who had manager Alan Reynolds sent off at half-time for his second booking, and Pat’s needed a win to keep alive hopes of a top-three finish, though fourth place could also offer a ticket to Europe, depending on the outcome of the FAI Cup final.

Bohs failed to make the most of their dominance, not enough clear-cut chances to match possession, while Pat’s were again hampered by a dismal away record in local battles, just one point in away Dublin derbies all season for them.

And now Shelbourne, in European action in North Macedonia on Thursday, can secure a top-three finish if they can win away to Bohs on Sunday, while Pat’s need two wins from their last two matches to even have a chance.

With so much at stake in terms of European football, and the substantial revenue that accompanies it, tension was inevitable. That flared up in a truly dramatic way late in the first half when, following an on-field scuffle involving players and staff from both camps, sparked by a push on Ross Tierney by Axel Sjoberg, referee Paul McLaughlin showed seven yellow cards.

Pat’s players Sjoberg and Jamie Lennon were booked along with manager Stephen Kenny and coach Seán O’Connor, while Bohs had defenders Cian Byrne and Leigh Kavanagh get the same, along with manager Reynolds.

But there was more to come as Reynolds approached Sjoberg as the teams left to head into the dressing room and pushed the defender, leading to a second booking for Reynolds, leaving him banished to the gantry for the second half.

That breathless finish to the half was in keeping with the game, fast-paced with a lot of bite and fight from both sides, though not a huge amount in terms of clear-cut chances. Saints man Kian Leavy was first to pose a threat, on four minutes, when he beat Connor Parsons but then fired wide. Bohs fans appealed for a penalty in the ninth minute when James Clarke went to ground under a challenge from Sjoberg but the Swede had won the ball cleanly.

The impressive Leavy was a threat to the home side, evident on 12 minutes when he did well to whip in a cross but it was just too high for Mason Melia.

The sides traded blows in an end-to-end game watched by 4,391 paying punters, Parsons wide of the target on 25 minutes after Bohs’ best move of the game while at the other end, Joe Redmond saw his header from a Chris Forrester cross go over the crossbar.

When the scuffle and flurry of cards happened in the 36th minute it was vital for both camps to keep calm but the chances kept coming, Tierney hitting the side-netting on 39 minutes and then Jordan Flores going close with a shot from distance.

Bohs, with assistant Stephen O’Donnell now calling the shots in place of the banned Reynolds, looked more determined in the second half, upping the tempo as Pat’s had to absorb pressure for spells, Joseph Anang making saves to deny Tierney and Flores early in that second half. Pat’s regrouped for a period, as a strong save from Kacper Chorazka was needed to keep out a well-struck Forrester effort on 63 minutes.

Bohs had better luck in terms of getting close to Anang’s goal but he stood firm, well positioned on 76 minutes to save from Dawson Devoy, though Pat’s did come close in injury-time when sub Ryan McLaughlin bore down on goal only for his shot to be stopped by Chorazka.

The Bohs players were effectively camped in the Saints’ half for the five minutes of injury-time but could not find a breakthrough as Redmond and Tom Grivosti soaked up the menace.

Bohemians: Chorazka; Morahan, Kavanagh, Byrne, Flores; Devoy, McDonnell (Strods 78); Rooney, Tierney, Parsons (Meekison 64); Clarke (Whelan 82).

St Patrick’s Athletic: Anang; Sjoberg (McLaughlin 60), Redmond, Grivosti, Kazeem (McClelland 60); Lennon (Robinson 80), Forrester; Leavy (Mulraney 78), Baggley, Power; Melia (Carty 78).

Referee: P McLaughlin

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