Bohemians top LOI table after Derry win, Shamrock Rovers defeat Pat's

The third round of the Irish Premier Division brought a clear change at the top of the table and the long-awaited start of the title defenders. Bohemians won for the third time in a row, defeating Derry City 1:0 away at Brandywell Stadium. The only goal of the match, in the 64th minute, was scored by Dawson Devoy from a spectacular free kick. This victory was the first for 'Bohs' at this stadium since 2023. Alan Reynolds' team, after three rounds, has a perfect nine points, has not conceded a single goal, and has taken sole lead of the table. Bohemians is one of the most decorated clubs in League of Ireland history, with 11 league titles, although the last one was won in 2009. Since then, the club's greatest success has been finishing as runners-up in 2021. Derry City, founded in 1928, is one of the few clubs from Northern Ireland playing in leagues organized by the Football Association of Ireland. Derry City, under new manager Tiernan Lynch, once again failed to impress and is still searching for the right form. The team struggled to create scoring opportunities, and Derry's only chance to equalize was a missed penalty in the second half. After the defeat, Derry dropped in the table. Meanwhile, with a delay caused by the cancellation of the first two rounds due to bad weather, the title defense began for Shamrock Rovers. In the Dublin derby at Tallaght Stadium in front of 7,573 spectators, they defeated St Patrick's Athletic 2:0. Although no goal was scored for over an hour of play, an impactful substitution brought the breakthrough. In the 69th minute, young striker Michael Noonan, who had just come on, capitalized on a pass from Adam Brennan and scored the first goal of the season for the 'Hoops'. Ten minutes later, Brennan himself, a 19-year-old debutant, added a second goal with a header from Danny Grant's cross. „Adam Brennan caps off a fine league debut with his first goal for his new club” — Seán O'Connor. This performance confirmed the youngster's excellent form, as he was already a standout player in the first half. Premier Division Round 3 Results: Bohemians: 1, Derry City: 0; Shamrock Rovers: 2, St Patrick's Athletic: 0; Shelbourne: 1, Galway United: 1; Dundalk: 0, Drogheda United: 0 Another important match took place in the capital for Galway United, a club whose main goal is to stay in the league. John Caulfield's experienced team drew 1:1 away with Shelbourne at Tolka Park (4,052 spectators), securing their first point of the season. The away goal in the 62nd minute was scored by substitute Kris Twardek. However, just two minutes later, Harry Wood from the penalty spot equalized for 'The Reds'. The match was costly for Shelbourne, who lost key defenders Odhrán Casey and Paddy Barrett to injury. Manager Joey O'Brien, who had just celebrated his 40th birthday, did not receive the gift of a first win of the season. The fifth match of the round, the so-called Louth derby between Dundalk and Drogheda United, ended in a goalless draw. In the background of the sporting events was a political controversy, as Sinn Féin TD Joanna Byrne claimed that the Drogheda United board attempted to remove her from her co-chair position after she called for a boycott of Republic of Ireland matches in the UEFA Nations League by the FAI. Premier Division Table after Round 3: 1. Bohemians — 9 pts; 2. Shamrock Rovers — 3 pts; 3. Shelbourne — 5 pts; 4. Derry City — 4 pts; 5. Dundalk — 4 pts