Bohemians face another significant test this Saturday afternoon (4pm) as they travel to Tolka Park to take on Dublin rivals Shelbourne in the All-Island Cup, writes Gary O’Connor.
It has been a difficult spell for Bohemians, who arrive into the fixture on the back of five consecutive defeats in all competitions. Their most recent outing saw Bohs suffer a heavy 5-1 defeat away to Sligo Rovers, continuing a frustrating run.
The manner of the defeat was particularly disappointing given that Bohs had started the game brightly and created a number of opportunities early on before the game slipped away from them. It has become a recurring theme in recent weeks, with missed chances at one end quickly punished at the other.
Manager Alan Murphy admitted afterwards that the result and overall display fell well below the standards expected within the group.
“Massively disappointing again. Similar to the last few weeks, Treaty and Sligo were very similar. Our performances just haven’t been good enough and ultimately we’re being punished. We’re being punished heavily for not taking our own chances and changing the game. We probably should be two or three up in the first 20 minutes. I think mentally we’re suffering then when we concede a goal because maybe there’s a feeling that it’s a big swing because we concede a goal and we haven’t taken our own chances and that seems to be affecting us over the past couple of weeks.”
Despite the final scoreline, Bohs had opportunities to take control of the game early on in Sligo, but were unable to capitalise during key moments. Murphy pointed to the importance of those moments in fundamentally shaping how the contest developed.
“I think we were on top of the game early on and we need to take our chances. The goals then would change games. We didn’t take our chances and as soon as Sligo took theirs they scored a second quite quickly and the game was fundamentally changed then. We’re obviously missing some key players and it’s difficult to turn that around and I think that’s ultimately been the way the games have gone for us. I think mentally when we concede, we seem to struggle a little bit and that’s for the group as a whole to try and figure that one out and how do we get that right for the next run of games.”
The recent run of results has clearly prompted reflection within the camp this week, with Murphy revealing that honest discussions have taken place among both players and staff. While confidence has undoubtedly taken a hit, Bohs remain determined to use this period as an opportunity to reset and rediscover the level that saw them compete strongly earlier in the season.
“We’ve had some really frank and honest conversations over the past couple of days, both after the game and in training on Monday morning and we’ve laid a lot on the table and we feel that our plan and how we approach games is the right way to go about them. Obviously everything is dependent on the execution on the pitch and if we’re not taking chances and conceding goals at the other end, you’re not going to win games. So the girls are under no illusion in terms of where we have to get better. It has to be a reset of some sort and hopefully that kicks in this week.”
Saturday’s fixture also represents an opportunity for Bohemians to revive their hopes in a competition that provided some of the club’s best memories last season. Bohs enjoyed a memorable run to the final of the All-Island Cup in 2025, defeating the likes of Glentoran and Shelbourne along the way before eventually losing to Wexford on penalties in the final.
This year’s campaign, however, began with a disappointing 3-1 home defeat to Glentoran, leaving Bohs bottom of Group D heading into this weekend’s clash. Shelbourne, meanwhile, made a winning start with a 4-2 victory over Waterford and know another win would put them in a strong position to qualify from the group.
Murphy believes the competition can still provide a valuable opportunity for his side, both in terms of building momentum again and utilising the depth of the squad.
“Similar to the Glentoran game, it’s a competition that was good to us last year. It has been a good competition for the clubs that won it over the last couple of years. You look at Galway, it’s kick-started a really good run for them. Obviously Wexford it rejuvenated them last year, so we are really looking forward to the game, and obviously, it’s an opportunity as well to get people onto the pitch and get minutes into girls. So that’s what we’ll be looking to achieve this weekend. We want to start winning games again, and we also want to make sure that the whole squad is being utilised.”
There may also be encouragement for Bohs in the fact that they pushed Shelbourne all the way when the sides met in the league just a few weeks ago. On that occasion, a disciplined and organised Bohemians performance looked set to earn a valuable point before a dramatic late winner handed Shelbourne a narrow 1-0 victory.
That display showed that despite their recent struggles, Bohs remain capable of competing with the top sides in the division when performing at their best. Murphy believes both sides will head into Saturday fully aware of the challenge awaiting them.
“We know we’re not a million miles away from any of the teams in the league. Unfortunately the last couple of games the results have gone against us and some of our performances have been decent and some of them have been really poor. One of our decent performances was against Shelbourne and it’s obviously 30 seconds at the end of the game that changed it fundamentally. We could score at one end to win the game and when we don’t we concede 30 seconds later. I expect that they’ll know they are in for a tough game and we also know we’re in for a tough game and we have to be at our best to get a result. But it’s a game we’re looking forward to and you always want to test yourself against good teams, and that’s what they are.”
Team News
Fiona Donnelly (knee) is a doubt while Eimear Lafferty (ankle) remains unavailable for selection.
There was positive news for Bohs last weekend with Aoibhe Brennan returning from an ankle injury, while Shauna Carroll has also returned to training after a lengthy spell on the sidelines. She hasn’t featured for the Gypsies since the 17th of May 2025. However this weekend’s game will come too soon for Carroll as she continues to build back to full fitness.