Killer Shamrock Rovers instinct shows against Bohs

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Shamrock Rovers 3 Bohemians 1

Three close-range second-half goals earned champions Shamrock Rovers a resounding victory before the biggest league crowd this century but Bohemians will be thinking long-range in this new era.

Johnny Kenny had come off the bench a fortnight ago to supply the solitary goal at Galway United that got Rovers motoring with their first win of the season.

Cameos appeared to be the extent of the expectation on the striker, for Stephen Bradley claimed afterwards his absence of pre-season training restricted his involvement.

“Johnny starting?,” the Hoops manager pondered at Eamonn Deacy Park. “I think we're looking at him after this round of games.” Three matches earlier than scheduled then, Kenny was delegated the mission of ruining the reintroduction of his U21 assistant boss Alan Reynolds to a senior club management role and duly obliged.

Marc Canham is the kingmaker of Irish football right now – preparing to finally anoint the new manager’s gaffer – but the FAI's supremo may dash the desire of Reynolds to combine both roles until the end of the Euro U21 campaign.

Rennie, whose club involvement since departing Waterford during the first Covid-19 interruption in 2020 was as assistant at Dundalk, Shelbourne, Derry City and his hometown Blues, was reunited with Pat Fenlon earlier this week.

The director of football has put his stamp on Dalymount after a 14-month period in which the three vital positions, academy director plus the women’s and men’s managers, have all changed personnel.

Attempting to end a five-year wait for a win at Tallaght just two days after his first training session was a bridge too far for Reynolds but it will be points against teams