Stephen Bradley singles out experienced player for criticism as Shamrock Rovers lose derby to Bohemians
Shamrock Rovers were down to 10 men when Filip Piszczek headed home Bohemians’ late winner
Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley didn’t hold back in his criticism of centre-half Lee Grace, who endured a nightmare in the Hoops’ Dalymount Park defeat to bitter rivals Bohemians on Sunday morning.
Grace was at fault for Ross Tierney’s equaliser, which came just nine minutes after Neil Farrugia fired the visitors in front.
And his red card midway through the second-half meant Rovers were a man down when Bohemians scored a late winner through Filip Piszczek.
It was the Polish striker’s second goal in Bohs colours - his first was also against Rovers in a 1-1 draw last May.
He rose to meet Jordan Flores’ brilliant left-wing cross with 84 minutes on the clock on Sunday to powerfully head the ball past Leon Pohls and earn a crucial win for Alan Reynolds’ side.
The result has all but extinguished Rovers’ faint title hopes - and now the Europa Conference League group stage qualifiers face a nervy challenge to secure European football next season.
They have picked up just two points from their last three games, in a devastatingly poor run of form, although they are still just four points off third with two games in hand.
But for Hoops boss Bradley, there was no disguising his disappointment with the outcome - and with the display of his experienced and usually reliable defender Grace.
“The game should be over at half-time, two one-on-ones, free header, a penalty, we score, the game should be over,” he said, referencing Rovers’ early chances and a stonewall penalty appeal that referee Paul McLoughlin waved away.
Marc McNulty appeared to be dragged back by Dawson Devoy minutes after Farrugia’s opener, as he prepared to shoot.
“You have to be more ruthless, if anything we’ve learned in Europe, the final third, you have to be more ruthless.
“The chances we had today were easy chances. If you go 2-0 up, it’s a different game completely.
“Their first goal is basic, really poor from Lee, really poor. And then the sending off changes the game.”
Asked if he felt the 67th minute sending off was harsh, Bradley replied: “No, it’s a definite red card, we’ve got control of the ball and we give it away.”
Grace was shown a second yellow for a lunge on Piszczek after a poor touch by the Rovers defender, while his first, 14 minutes earlier, was for slapping the ball out of Liam Smith’s hand as the Bohs full-back prepared to take a throw-in.
“I think that probably summed up his performance today. He wasn’t focused,” Bradley said of the first caution.
“(Grace’s performance was) really surprising because he’s a top player, one of the best in the country but today he was a million miles away from it and it cost us.
“His defending for the first one and his sending off has cost us.”
The pitch did neither side any favours, with the unpredictable bounce catching Grace out in the 24th minute as he looked to cut out Dawson Devoy’s long ball forward to Dayle Rooney.
Rooney squared to Tierney, who took a touch and slotted his shot low to the left of Rovers goalkeeper Leon Pohls from eight yards.
Farrugia’s 15th minute opener - a low drive from 25 yards after Darragh Burns played the ball in from the right - also took a bobble on its way past Bohs goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka.
Asked about the pitch and its impact on those key moments, Bradley replied: “That’s an excuse, the pitch is the pitch, it’s the same for both teams.
“Lee is an experienced player. Go and deal with the ball. He doesn’t deal with the first one.
“If he is focused, he gets his body in, which he does nine times out of ten. He’s not focused today, he gets caught with the bounce.”
As for the early kick-off, he added: “You can use that as an excuse, but we should be 3-0 up and then no one talks about the morning kick off.
“(It’s) nothing to do with that. All the other players are clued in. The morning kick-off is no excuse for the basics we did wrong.”
Bohs’ winner came from a pair of substitutes - with Flores providing a brilliant cross from the left, midway inside the Rovers half, and Piszczek powering an unstoppable header past Pohls.
For the Gypsies, it was a first win in 10 league games - stretching back to May - and their first home league win since April.
It gives them a bit of breathing space near the bottom of the table, where they are now seven points clear of Drogheda United and eight points above Dundalk, with a game in hand over the two Louth sides.
Manager Reynolds was happy with his side’s reaction to going a goal-behind. They finished the first-half well and could have been ahead at the break, only for the post to deny Dayle Rooney.
“They started better than us which you’d probably be surprised because you’re thinking we’d be fresh,” said Reynolds.
“But we grew into it and got stronger and we knew they were going to have a little spell at the end, putting balls in the box. We probably rode our luck a little bit and I think overall we just about shaded it.”
He added: “We’ve Shels next week, who are top of the league at the minute, but as a group we feel that we are improving.
“But football changes so quickly. We won’t be resting, we’ll prepare and all the usual sh*t that goes with that. Hopefully it’s a springboard.”
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