Shelbourne started the better, playing with a kind of purpose that was certainly lacking when these sides met in the first round of games. Yet again, Bohs conceded an early goal at home. After a Shels corner was cleared away, Sean Brennan picked up the ball just inside the Bohs half. He beat his first man with consumate ease, then got the benefit of a lucky ricochet off Owen Heary to suddenly find himself through on goal. Brennan kept his composure and slotted the ball past Dean Delany to send the away fans in the Des Kelly stand into wild celebration.

Despite the return of Heary, Bohs looked particularly shaky at the back. Granted, the wind was right in their faces, but a series of hoofed clearances and missed passes did little to relieve the pressure on the back four. Even when the ball did go up the other end, Dave Scully cut a forlorn figure. Keith Buckley, Karl Moore and a rather sluggish-looking Kevin Devaney offered little in the way of back-up play.

The key moment of the game came just after the half hour mark. Derek Pender had been cynically tripped five minutes earlier, and perhaps was still reeling. He lunged in on Darren Tinnelly with studs showing. For a supposedly experienced player, it was a ridiculous challenge to make at this stage of such an important game. There were howls of anger when referee Tomás Connolly produced a straight red card – but the truth is, Pender gave the referee little choice. If you lunge in recklessly with feet off the ground, you can have no arguments.

If Pender’s tackle was ridiculous, it was nothing to the shambles of Shelbourne’s second goal which came just two minutes after the red card. Owen Heary is a legendary figure, but the seven-time league winner is not beyond criticism, and his 34th minute error will rank as one of the worst of his career. Sean Brennan floated an innocuous ball into the danger area. Heary was right underneath it, and inexplicably just stepped aside and left it. Bohs fans watched – mouth-agape – as Dean Kelly gleefully nodded the ball in from just five yards. Heary seemed angry with Dean Delaney, but it was 100% the captain’s fault.

Ironically enough, Bohs actually started to play well while a man down and 2 goals down. With little to lose, they strung a few passes together before the break. Kevin Devaney half-heartedly tumbled in the box, but referee Connolly was having none of it.

The second half started poorly for the home side again. Dean Delany fired a series of goal kicks all the way out of play as Bohs struggled to judge the wind. The final nail in the coffin came on 52 minutes, and again an individual error cost the Gypsies. Luke Byrne has been Bohs best player of the season by some distance, but he was culpable for the visitors’ third. First, he stood off Philly Hughes as the big frontman brought it down and flicked it through for Kelly. Byrne was favourite to intercept the pass, but slipped and fell, allowing Kelly a clear run on goal. He clipped it brilliantly over Delany to finish the game as a contest.

The final forty minutes was difficult watching for any Bohs fan. The errors kept on coming. Byrne played a weak pass across the face of goal and Sean Brennan could have made it 4 if not for Delany’s intervention. The keeper again saved Bohs on 70 minutes when he saved well from Hughes before Mark Leech scuffed a shot from 6 yards straight at the Bohs net minder.

Referee Tomás Connolly attracted most of the ire from the Bohs fans, who seemed particularly interested in Shelbourne’s time-wasting and their moving of free kicks and throw-ins a yard or two further ahead. Surely a more important problem was Bohs’ devastating lack of creativity. Karl Moore was the only player with a little spark about him, and he won a soft penalty with 10 minutes to go. Connolly seemed to be eager to even things up (although his decision to send Pender off was a simple one). Moore tumbled over Shels keeper Niall Burdon, who seemed to get a hand on the ball. Nevertheless, Connolly pointed to the spot. Chris Lyons stepped up, and keeping with the theme of the night, struck a dreadful penalty straight at Burdon’s legs.

The mid-season break sees Bohs level on points with UCD in the relegation play-off spot. Shelbourne, in the automatic relegation spot, are now just 5 points behind the Gypsies. Bohs are without a win in their last 8 games, and have only scored 13 goals in 17 league games. Before the game, Aaron Callaghan talked about bringing in two or three players in the transfer window. Aftre this result, there is no doubt that the squad needs strengthening if the Gypsies are to avoid a proper scrap to avoid the drop.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Derek Pender, Owen Heary, Roberto Lopes (Ciaran Nangle, 14), Luke Byrne, Karl Moore, Ryan McEvoy, Dave Mulcahy (Stephen Traynor, 56), Keith Buckley, Kevin Devaney (Chris Lyons, 73), Dave Scully. Subs not used: Greg Murray, Shane Murray, Michael Scott, Michael Barker.

Shelbourne: Niall Burdon, Jack Memery (Brian Shortall, 78), Graham Gartland, Ian Ryan, Darren Tinnelly, Glenn Cronin, Sean Brennan, Stephen Hurley, Pat Flynn, Dean Kelly (Mark Leech, 66), Philip Hughes (Gareth O’Connor, 87). Subs not used: Adam Hanlon, Ger Hanley, Craig Mooney, Jake Donnelly.