Rory Gaffney fired champions Shamrock Rovers back on top after the Hoops snatched the capital’s bragging rights for now.
But the Gypsies were crying foul when strong penalty appeals were waved away before-half time, leaving boss Keith Long incensed and utterly gobsmacked.
Rovers’ two away defeats in four games before this may have offered the chasing pack hope that they won’t get it all their own way this season.
But while they maintained their 100% home record courtesy of Gaffney’s first-half strike, they shaded rather than dominated their arch rivals.
Bohs won three of the five meetings last season, but without the suspended Promise Omochere they lacked the teeth in attack to make inroads against an overworked Hoops defence, but not Alan Mannus who had it easy.
The biggest talking point centred on that penalty appeal late in the first-half when Lee Grace bundled Kris Twardek to the ground.
Referee Rob Hennessey wasn’t buying it and Long couldn’t believe his eyes. It might have been a lifeline, but his side were always chasing.
And they were hanging on at the death when Rovers subs Aaron Greene and Danny Mandroiu went close with the insurance goal.
Rovers were the more convincing side in attack throughout the first-half and Gaffney caused all sorts of bother for centre-backs Ciaran Kelly and Grant Horton.
And he wasn’t far away early on when out-muscling Kelly to reach a Hoare ball to put the frighteners up James Talbot.
Graham Burke, back in the starting team for Mandroiu following the latter’s mini Richmond Park strop, was better placed and let rip at Gaffney afterwards.
Burke was a thorn in Bohs’ side throughout his 70-minute outing. And while he might lack that killer yard of pace, he more than makes up for it with speed of thought.
Gaffney then flashed a shot across the face of goal from an impossible angle before finally getting his rewards in the 25th minute.
Burke and Ronan Finn were central to a sweeping move down the right that ended up in the box.
Intricate passing had Bohs in a spin and when the ball clipped the heels of a visiting defender, it sat up perfectly for Gaffney to drill home.
