A huge Dublin derby awaits this Saturday afternoon (3pm) as Bohemians make the trip to Tallaght Stadium to face Shamrock Rovers in the SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division, writes Gary O’Connor.
Bohemians come into the game still searching for a return to winning ways after a difficult spell which has seen them lose six games in a row in all competitions. Their latest defeat came last weekend in the All-Island Cup against Shelbourne at Tolka Park. Bohs found themselves 2-0 down early on before Savannah Kane pulled a goal back before half time, but despite an improved display they were unable to find an equaliser.
That result leaves Bohs bottom of Group D with no points from their opening two games, meaning they will need to beat Waterford in their final group fixture and rely on results elsewhere if they are to progress to the knockout stages.
While the losing streak remains a source of frustration, manager Alan Murphy felt there were encouraging signs in the performance against Shelbourne compared to previous weeks.
“Disappointed to lose again. The performance was better than the last couple of weeks, I thought. It doesn’t do anything for the losing streak and that’s a source of disappointment, the girls are working so hard to put that right, and it’s hard to put our finger on it at the minute. We just maybe need that little bit of luck that we haven’t got in some of the games, and in some of the games we’ve been poor, but in some of the games we have been decent and just haven’t got the rub of the green from that aspect of course no one wants to lose but from a performance point of view it’s better than it has been in the last couple of weeks, and we’re all working above and beyond at the minute to make sure that something turns in the near future.”
Despite results continuing to go against them, Murphy believes the response shown by the squad in training has been extremely positive. Bohs have remained competitive in several matches this season, but individual mistakes and fine margins have repeatedly proven costly.
“I think the reaction we saw in training with the girls was excellent. I referenced it last week that we had a couple of honest conversations and you could see the difference in training last week, there was a proper edge to it where you could really see that they were challenging each other to be better and that’s really important for us and we’re not too far off, if you look at even the games we’ve been losing if you look at the stats we’ve been there or thereabouts, it’s just really been down to individual errors. So the only way to cut them out is to work harder on the training pitch.”
Saturday’s clash presents another major challenge for Bohs, but also another opportunity to kickstart their season. Derby matches against Shamrock Rovers have often produced dramatic encounters in recent years and last season’s meeting in Tallaght was no different. On that occasion, Rovers raced into a 2-0 lead before Bohemians fought back through goals from Alannah McEvoy and Hannah O’Brien to secure a 2-2 draw.
A lot has changed since that evening. Both clubs now have new faces in the dugout, with James O’Callaghan replacing Stephanie Zambra at Rovers, while Alan Murphy stepped up to become Bohemians manager following Alban Hysa’s departure. There have also been notable movements between the two clubs, with Aoife Brophy joining Bohs from Rovers, while Roisin McGovern who represented Bohemians in the Team Of The Year in 2025 made the move to Tallaght in February.
Murphy feels the occasion should excite his players rather than intimidate them as Bohs look to finally turn performances into points.
“Obviously the games that we’re playing Shels and Rovers they’re games that the girls look forward to so going to Tallaght shouldn’t hold any fear for the girls. There’s no better game to kick start a winning run than against Rovers in Tallaght, so that’s what we’re working hard for this week, and we’re all looking forward to the challenge and hopefully it’s the start of something good for us.”
Rovers, meanwhile, have made a strong start to the campaign and currently sit fourth in the table with ten points from five games while also having a game in hand on the teams above them. Under the guidance of James O’Callaghan they have developed a reputation as an organised and difficult side to break down, something Murphy expects again this weekend.
“They’re obviously a different team to last year with a new manager, new players, new identity. We’re all aware of what James brings to a group. They’re going to be hard-working, they’re going to be resilient and tough to break down, and they’ve got a bit of quality as well. The results have been decent so far this season. I think bar the Peamount game they will probably be quite happy with their performances. I know they probably needed a bit of luck against Shels in terms of the sending off to win that game, but in general the performances have been decent. So hard, resilient, like all James’ teams are. But it’s a game that we’re looking forward to and having had the cup final and the game against Rovers at the back end of last season, it’s a ground the girls enjoy going to so we’re looking forward to it.”
As with any derby emotion and intensity are expected to play a major role. Murphy acknowledged the importance of his side remaining disciplined and focused amid what is likely to be a fiercely contested encounter.
“Yeah, I think it’s always important to manage the emotions in any game. I think it’s just as important for us that we don’t go chasing things and we try to stick to our own game plan and we don’t buy into the sort of frenzy there can be sometimes in terms of the emotions running high and the tackles flying in so it’s about keeping a cool head. We want them to be intense and we want them to have loads of intent and we want to play, but they have to see that the old emotional nature isn’t going to help us in the game, so it’s important that we get that balance right.”
With Bohs desperate to end their difficult run and Rovers looking to continue their strong start to the season, another entertaining Dublin derby could be in store at Tallaght Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Team news
Fiona Donnelly returned to the squad last week after missing the previous four games through a knee injury.
There was further positive news for Bohs as Eimear Lafferty and Shauna Carroll have both returned to training with the squad as they continue their recoveries.