Attention returns to SSE Airtricity Women’s Premier Division action this afternoon at 4pm as Bohemians make the short trip to face Shelbourne in a Dublin derby clash at Tolka Park.
After a brief pause in fixtures due to the international break, both sides will be eager to build momentum as the season begins to take shape. The Gypsies currently sit seventh in the table with four points from their opening three games, while Shelbourne have made a strong start, occupying third place and sitting just two points off the summit.
Bohs come into the game looking to respond following a 3-1 defeat to Glentoran in the All-Island Cup prior to the break. It was a disappointing afternoon at Dalymount Park, with manager Alan Murphy admitting his side fell short of their usual standards.
“Yeah, we’re disappointed. I don’t think we played to our capabilities. We obviously had a couple of injuries, but with a couple of enforced changes and a couple of changes anyway, I don’t think we played near our potential. So, disappointing day all round. And obviously it makes it difficult now in terms of the All-Island Cup. It’s not a place we wanted to be in, but it’s a really good game this week to be able to bounce back from that.”
The timing of the international break may have come at a good moment for Bohemians, offering an opportunity to regroup after back to back defeats.
Murphy explained that the break allowed the squad to both rest and refocus ahead of Sunday’s derby.
“Yeah, the girls had a couple of days off, so they came back in last weekend. They had a tough session last Saturday and those who didn’t train on Saturday played for the under 23s on Sunday. So, yeah, it was nice to have a reset. It’s been tough, we’ve been at it since the beginning of January, so I’m hoping that we go at things with a renewed focus this week. That’s the aim of having had a couple of days off anyway.”
Defensive lapses have been a key theme in recent performances, with Bohs conceding eight goals across their last two matches. Murphy acknowledged that tightening up at the back will be crucial if his side are to return to winning ways.
“I think we can learn from both the Glentoran and the Athlone game. We looked quite decent defensively in the first couple of games, but we can’t keep on conceding goals like we have done in those two games and expect to be coming out on the right side of the results. So certainly I think learnings have to be taken from these two games, how we defend and not giving up goals easily to opposition teams.”
Today’s opponents present another significant test. Shelbourne have consistently been among the strongest sides in the division in recent years and they will be expected to challenge at the top once again this season.
Murphy is fully aware of the challenge that awaits at Tolka Park.
“It’s a tough test. It’s always tough playing against Shelbourne. You never get an easy game at Tolka Park. But on the flip side, I think they’ll also be thinking that about us. We had some really good games last year. Obviously the first game didn’t go any way we wanted it to go. But I think that in itself renewed our focus, probably this time last year. So they are always going to be challenging. They’re always able to recruit, they are always going to be really competitive at the top end of the table. So tough challenge, but I think our girls will be really looking forward to it after the last couple of results.”
For Bohemians, the focus this weekend is firmly on performance. While results are important, Murphy stressed that delivering a consistent level across 90 minutes will ultimately be the key to climbing the table.
“It’s all about the performance for us. We know that the main thing we need to do is just to be consistent and to give good performances and over the course of the season the results will come your way. So I think that’s been a disappointment that we haven’t had the performances in probably the last couple of games. So first and foremost we’re just looking for a good performance on Sunday and hopefully if we do that the result will go our way.”
As with any meeting between the two Dublin clubs, there is an added edge to proceedings. Familiarity between players on both sides only heightens the competitive nature of the fixture.
“I think they always do (have an edge). A lot of the girls will have played with each other or will have played against each other for a number of years now, so there’s that knowledge of each other. I suppose it’s always an added feature of the Dublin derbies. We just have to make sure that we’re looking after ourselves and treat it like any other game in terms of our preparations, our own approach, and what we’re going to try and do in the game.”
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Bohemians are without Aoibhe Brennan (ankle) and Eimear Lafferty (ankle).