Bohs boss Long kept faith with the same team that dispatched Bray last week, while old friends Pat Fenlon and Killian Brennan plotted the downfall of their former employers.

Typical of every single encounter between the two (in the last 20 years anyway), the game started at a feverish pace, with little or no constructive play due to the heady mixture of fouls, nerves, testing the referee, and settling in.

When the dust did settle, it was the home side who started to produce. Ayman Ben Mohamed, ever the bright spark, skinned Simon Madden on the left flank and pulled the ball back to Keith Buckley, who could only direct his 15-yard effort straight at Barry Murphy in the Rovers goal.

Then came the big chance for the Gypsies. This time the cross came from the left, and was whipped in be captain Derek Pender. Rovers centre back Maxime Blanchard fluffed his clearance, and the ball squirmed into the path of Izzy Akinade. However, the big striker’s shot wasn’t the most powerful, and was blocked brilliantly by Madden.

The old saying goes that you must score when you’re on top, and that is definitely the case in Derby matches. Rovers started to come into the game, shooting toward their horde of fans in the Des Kelly Stand. Gary Shaw stung the palms of Dean Delany – but as the fourth official held up the board, it looked like there’d be a half time stalemate.

Simon Madden had other ideas. He skipped past Lorcan Fitzgerald on the byline just outside the box, and the defender chopped him down clumsily. Rovers worked the resulting free kick well – pulled back short to the edge of the box. Brandon Miele’s shot was well blocked by Roberto Lopes, but the rebound fell to Gary McCabe who unleashed a powerful drive that took a deflection and flashed past Dean Delany.

Disappointment quickly turned into disaster for Bohs almost straight after the re-start. Paddy Kavanagh had a looped shot that came off the top of the crossbar, and from the resulting attack, Rovers struck again. This time, Brandon Miele was sent through down the right by McCabe, and directed a pinpoint shot into the far corner.

If the Bohs fans were hoping for a response from their team, they were left bitterly disappointed. Kurtis Byrne came on for Keith Buckley, but the change didn’t work out. Rovers began to dominate possession, and clinched the victory on 73 minutes. Again it was Miele, by far the best player on the pitch and maybe in the country, who struck. After skipping past two Bohs defenders and playing a one-two with Shaw, he curled a beautiful shot that clipped in off the inside of Delany’s post.

To add insult to injury, and really compound a night of pure misery for the Gypsies, Ryan Brennan curled a 25 yard peach into the top corner with 10 minutes to go to make it 4-0.

Bohs now face a crucial period in their season. A League Cup last 16 tie at Shelbourne is followed by a trip to Derry and a home date with the Champions, Dundalk. An instant response is required from the men in red and black.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Derek Pender, Dan Byrne, Derek Prendergast, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Roberto Lopes, Eoin Wearen, Keith Buckley (Kurtis Byrne, 56), Paddy Kavanagh, Ayman Ben Mohamed, Ismahil Akinade. Subs not used: Lee Steacy, Dave Mulcahy, Anto Murphy, James Kavanagh, Dylan Hayes, Adam Evans.

Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy, Simon Madden, David Webster, Gavin Brennan, Killian Brennan, Pat Cregg, Mikey Drennan, Gary McCabe, Brandon Miele (Trevor Clarke, 90), Gary Shaw (Gareth McCaffrey, 72). Subs not used: Craig Hyland, Rob Cornwall, Richard Purdy, Stephen McPhail, Danny North.

Once again, Bohs come into this fixture chasing the Hoops in the table.

Currently in seventh place on ten points, victory tomorrow would see the Gypsies leapfrog Rovers, who sit fifth on 12 points.

Long said: “Our record in previous games against Rovers doesn’t come into it and the clubs’ positions in the table counts for nothing coming into a derby either.

“These games are tight, tense and have often been decided on a mistake or sometimes on who wants it more. I’ve no doubt it will be a keenly-contested affair as always.”

Bohs are in form after two successive 2-0 league victories against Longford Town and Bray Wanderers respectively, with an entertaining 4-3 Leinster Senior Cup win over Dundalk in between.

Long said: “Our results have improved. It was important that we settled as we had an indifferent start to the season.

“Bray was always going to be a tough game and it took us a while to get into it. But when we got going, I thought we put in a very solid and professional performance.

“We’ve back-to-back victories in the league now – including our first away from home – and kept a clean sheet in both, so our confidence is good.”

Rovers’ last outing was a 3-0 loss away to Derry City last Friday and Long added: “Rovers will be hurting from that defeat. Pat Fenlon will have his players ready for this game and demanding an improvement.”

Dave Mulcahy comes back into contention for Bohs after missing the Bray game with a virus. But Mark Quigley (quad) and Jake Kelly (virus) are doubtful. Jason Caffrey (hamstring) remains out.

“It’s not going to be easy and we’ve got to show we want it more.”

Goals from Keith Buckley and Aymen Ben Mohamed just before half-time gave a reinvigorated Bohs side a 2-0 victory against Longford last Friday.

Long said: “It wasn’t perfect. But we showed more of what we’re capable of.

“We were delighted to keep a clean sheet but we got away with some errors that might have been punished against other teams.

“But with that two-goal cushion, you could see that the players were really playing with confidence in the second half.”

Bohs’ defence has come in for criticism in the early stages of this season but having scored six goals in two games, now the side’s flair up front is receiving some deserved plaudits.

Long said: “We still need to tighten up defensively and that has to start from the front. But between Kurtis Byrne, Mark Quigley, Izzy Akinade, Jake Kelly and Adam Evans, we have really good attacking options.”

The competition for places up front was highlighted by Kurtis Byrne – reduced to a substitute’s role against Longford – netting a stunning hat-trick in the 4-3 Leinster Senior Cup win against his former club Dundalk on Monday.

Long said: “Obviously the Leinster Senior Cup is down our list of priorities but it meant that, bar the injured players, we were able to give everyone in the squad a game over the two matches.

“Kurtis was disappointed not to start against Longford but he really showed his quality against Dundalk.”

And, for once, a manager was happy to see his touchline instructions fall on deaf ears.

Long added: “Kurtis was about five yards offside for his first goal! I was screaming at him to leave it alone as Adam Evans was onside.

“But it was a lovely finish – the hat-trick really was fantastic. The free-kick for the second was excellent and the third was something special too.

“It’s great to see a player have the confidence to try something like that. It reflects the hard work he puts into his own game and I think there is more to come from Kurtis as he settles in at the club.”

Mark Quigley (quad) is once again considered doubtful, while Jason Caffrey (hamstring) remains out.

It was Stephen Kenny’s side, however, who took the lead after thirteen minutes as Bohs were left to rue their missed chances. An accurate through ball found the feet of Michael O’Connor who struck a well-placed shot past the on-rushing Lee Steacy.

Bohemians didn’t take it lying down, and almost drew level when Evans intercepted a sloppy Dundalk pass to find Keith Buckley on the edge of the area. Unfortunately for the tireless midfielder, his effort was blazed high and over. Keith Long’s men didn’t have to wait to ling for their next chance, as a stray Kelly shot found Kurtis Byrne on the 18-yard line; however his effort was well high of the target.

Bohemians continued to employ a high-pressing tactic which the Dalymount faithful have become so accustomed to since Long’s inception. After a string of wasted chances, the Gypsies’ finally drew level. Dundalk defender Anton Reilly shot himself in the foot as he hesitated on the ball inside hos 18 yard line, eventually losing out to Anto Murphy who fired home a ferocious strike past Gabriel Sava to draw the home side level before half-time.

The second half saw the game become a more open affair as Dundalk began to push on into the final third. However it was Bohemians who took the lead with another Kurtis Byrne wonder strike. The Bohs’ frontman found space 35 yards out and let fly with a perfectly weighted volley over the head of the unsuspecting Sava.

The lead didn’t last long though, as hesitant Bohemians defending allowed Michael O’Connor to gran his and Dundalk’s’ second with a delightful shot past an unmoved Steacy.

It was the last ten minutes though, that the game really caught fire. Kurtis Bryne again, showing the 300 in attendance that he’s not one to score ordinary goals. An 81st minute carbon copy of his previous goal, struck a sublime volley from 35 yards out to catch Sava off his line.

The Dundalk keeper will likely be having nightmares tonight, as his tormentor Byrne struck yet again with devastating free kick into the top-left corner of the goal to complete is hat-trick and surely kill off the game for Bohemians.

There was time, however, for a late Dundalk rally. A whizzing cross not dealt with by captain Dave Mulcahy allowed for substitute Jordan Kelly to fire home a late consolation for the away side.

Akinade started brightly, linking up well with Buckley and Paddy Kavanagh – who looked in particularly good form. However, despite a lot of early possession, Bohs struggled to create many clear-cut chances. Lorcan Fitzgerald came closest with a shot that flashed over following a short corner. It was Longford who should really have taken the lead midway through the first half – but they failed to capitalise on Bohs mistakes. First, Lorcan Fitzgerald gave the ball away on the edge of the box, and Paddy Kavanagh had to make a terrific last-ditch tackle to stop David O’Sullivan. Next, O’Sullivan and Alex O’Hanlon tripped over each other when at least one of them should have scored.

Bohs first real chance fell to Kavanagh, who was popping up all over the field. Akinade broke down the left and his cross found Kavanagh who struck the outside of the post. The Gypsies did take the lead on 42 minutes from an unlikely source. The lively Ayman Ben Mohamed checked back on the edge of the box, and slipped the ball through to Keith Buckley. Never a prolific goalscorer, Bucko showed great composure to chip the ball delightfully over Paul Skinner into the net.

Then, on the stroke of half time, Bohs made Longford’s task even harder with a sucker-punch second. Captain Derek Pender flashed a brilliant cross to the far post where Ben Mohamed was waiting to slide the ball home. The former Longford man is fast becoming a cult hero with the Dalymount faithful, who have repaid his quality play with an excellent song in his honour. Listen out for it.

The two goal cushion seemed to loosen Bohs up, and the home team played with a lot of confidence in the second half. Paddy Kavanagh was at the heart of this. The type of player who always tries something different – and tonight it all came off for him. He was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet when he hit the post for a second time with a deflected shot. The woodwork took a hammering all night – Longford’s Peter McGlynn struck Dean Delany’s post with a shot that could’ve re-opened the game as a contest.

Derek Pender and Kavanagh linked very well on the right hand side, but the Bohs skipper’s night was ended by a dangerous challenge by Noel Haverty. The former St. Pats youngster seems to have a serious problem with Bohs, having been sent off in the League Cup meeting between the teams just last week. Haverty could easily have seen red again for pole-axing Pender. Keith Long will be sweating on the fitness of his captain, having lost him for much of the 2015 season with an Achilles injury. Next week, Bohs travel to the seaside to face Bray Wanderers – before the showdown with Shamrock Rovers on April 15th.

Bohemians: Dean Delany, Derek Pender (Dylan Hayes, 78), Derek Prendergast, Dano Byrne, Lorcan Fitzgerald, Keith Buckley, Roberto Lopes, Eoin Wearen (Dave Mulcahy, 84), Paddy Kavanagh, Ayman Ben Mohamed, Ismahil Akinade (Kurtis Byrne, 64). Subs not used: Lee Steacy, Anto Murphy, Jake Kelly.

Longford Town: Paul Skinner, Mark Hughes, James Mulhall, Pat Flynn, Noel Haverty, Kealon Dillon (Kaleem Simon, 14), Kevin O’Connor, Philip Gannon, Peter McGlynn (Don Cowan, 74), David O’Sullivan, Josh O’Hanlon. Subs not used: Ian Molloy, Daniel O’Reilly, Josh McKeown, Keith Beirne, Karl Chambers.

BohemianFC.com Man of the Match: Paddy Kavanagh

“Confidence is a huge thing. A good result against Longford and things can suddenly look a lot better.”

Arguably the Gypsies’ best performance of the season so far came against tomorrow’s opposition when Long’s men ran out 3-1 winners in the EA Sports Cup nine days ago.

Long said: “It will be a different game and Tony Cousins will select a stronger team.

“But our mentality is the same. We want fast, attacking football. We want our players to go out and express themselves and to be positive in possession.”

Bohs’ home form has been encouraging so far with two wins and a draw in all competitions at Dalymount Park.

But Saturday’s 1-0 loss to high-flying Galway United was the team’s third defeat from three tough early-season away fixtures.

Long added: “Against Galway, there was very little between the sides.

“We had been quite comfortable. We weathered the storm in the first half against the wind but in the second half, we didn’t take advantage.

“You felt whoever scored first was going to win it. We’re disappointed not to have come away with something from the game.”

Bohs’ options are boosted by the return of Eoin Wearen, who sat out the last three games with a viral infection.

Ismahil Akinade is also back in contention to start after a hamstring strain suffered in the EA Sports Cup game against Longford limited him to a substitute’s role against Galway.

But there are doubts over Mark Quigley, who suffered a quad strain in training on Wednesday, and Jason Caffrey (hamstring).

Half-back Josh Rowe was with the East Surrey Regiment and was wounded many times. At the end of March he was reported to be returning to duty after convalescence and, it was said, “he hopes to play football again”. Full-back J.J. Doyle had joined the Officer Training Corps in early 1916 but got leave to play for Bohemians in the Irish Cup semi-final, which Bohemians lost to Glentoran in Belfast.

Also involved in that cup campaign was outside-left Harry Willits, who was team captain in 1915-16. An English-born civil servant, he played during 1916 both for the Royal Dublin Fusiliers’ regimental team and for Bohemians. By the start of the next season, however, he was at the war front with the Dublin Fusiliers and in November 1916 was reported as wounded. He survived and was back with Bohemians in 1917-18.

Bohemians’ squad in 1916, coached by the everlasting Charlie Harris, included two internationals, Billy McConnell and Johnny McDonnell, whose 1915 Irish shirt hangs today in the JJ Bar at Dalymount Park.
Others included regular goal-scorers Ned Brooks and Dinny Hannon, and defender Bert Kerr, who had joined in 1915 and was to have a notable career with Bohemians, including as team captain. He also had a remarkable career as a pioneer in the Irish bloodstock industry.

On Easter Monday 1916, a Bohemian team travelled to Athlone to play an end-of-season friendly, as they had done for several years. So friendly was it that McDonnell and Hannon played for Athlone, in a team that included several army officers. (Hannon later won the Free State Cup with Athlone Town.)

Neither team can have been aware of what was happening in Dublin as they played their game in bad weather (3-2 for Bohemians) and were later entertained at the Imperial Hotel and at a dance at the Commercial Quadrille Class. “The Bohemians expressed themselves highly pleased with their visit,” the Westmeath Independent reported.

However, the trip was to end less pleasantly for the Bohemian team. Due to the Rising, train services were disrupted from Mullingar, and they had to arrange car transport back to the capital.
Their late return was reported in the Irish Times among the repercussions of the Rising: “Some of the [Bohemian team] members who lived on the south side of the city had to stay in Phibsborough for the [Wednesday] night and, after walking via Islandbridge, Kilmainham, Goldenbridge, Rialto, Crumlin and Dolphin’s Barn, these did not get home until Friday (April 28), at 1.30 p.m.”

While the Bohemian party were concerned about getting back to the city from Athlone the rebels were worried about the arrival of British Army reinforcements from the same location. Many of the sites occupied by the rebels were chosen for their ability to delay the troops coming into the city, most notably the engagement with the Sherwood Foresters at Mount Street bridge.

In Phibsborough members of B Company of the Dublin Brigade built barricades on the railway bridges on the Cabra Road and North Circular Road close to St. Peter’s Church. They even went as far as to try and blow up both bridges with gelignite.

While B Company was able to hold off a number of attacks from small arms and machine gun-fire, the arrival of artillery onto the Cabra Road (outside what is now the Deaf Village) and the use of shrapnel-loaded shells raining down on the bridges just yards from Dalymount Park and as far down as Doyle’s Corner meant that the Volunteers could not hold their positions. A number of civilians were killed by over-shooting shells, while 15-year-old Fianna Éireann scout Shay Healy was shot dead outside his Phibsborough home.

The rebels eventually abandoned their positions hoping to link up with Thomas Ashe in Finglas but by the time they got there he and his men had already left for Meath and the Battle of Ashbourne. Many of B Company found their way back into the city and some joined the garrison in the GPO and then Moore Street.

While there is no record of Bohemians fighting with the 1916 rebels, some Bohemians did work in the British administration during that period. Highest-placed of these was founder member Andrew P. Magill. He was an 18-year-old clerk in the Land Commission when he attended the club’s first meeting, and later a clerk in the office of the Chief Secretary for Ireland. He rose to become private secretary to Chief Secretary Augustine Birrell, who resigned in May 1916 after failing to predict or take preventative action to stop the Rising. Magill later worked in the post-partition civil service of Northern Ireland.

While Magill was serving the Chief Secretary, fellow-Bohemian Joe Irons, an army reserve who was called up when World War 1 broke out, was posted to the Vice-Regal Lodge in Phoenix Park, to what is now Áras an Úachtaráin, to protect the Viceroy.

In later articles we will look further into the life and career of Harry Willits, report on other Bohemians who fought in World War 1, and tell the stories of some Bohemians who were IRA volunteers in the War of Independence.