The full-time whistle has been silent for about 15 minutes now, but the nations of France and Ireland won't be quiet for some time yet.

The French, of course will be partying, narrowly qualifying for South Africa next summer. Anelka and Gallas' goals were just enough to pip a game Ireland squad.

The Irish, however, will be screaming long into the night about a lack of justice on the eventual series-winning goal by Gallas. Giovanni Trapattoni has done great work on a side with such limited resources and came oh-so-close to the big dance.

But due to a blatant handball missed by both the referee and his linesman, the Emerald Isle will once again be only spectators to the World Cup.

But, lets give the Irish credit; soccer/football is definitely a minor sport in Ireland behind the Gaelic Games and rugby union, but Trapattoni has done great things since taking over from Steve Staunton.

Unfortunately, they'll be sitting around until qualifiers for the next Euros start up.

Despite winning, is there a single person who believes Domenech is the right man for France?

First he couldn't deliver at Euro '08, now his side barely sneak into the World Cup. He was rightfully booed by the French fans at halftime and his decision to not play Real Madrid superstar Karim Benzema must be questioned.

But the biggest question that must be addressed is the 800 lb gorilla in the room; instant replay and its place in football.

Clearly, Henry handled the ball before his pass to Gallas, no doubt about that, but is instant replay a viable option?

My main concern is for the speed of the game. In both forms of rugby, tries can be deliberated for multiple minutes before decisions come out; is having a TMO really the best option?

I love to see fair, well-played games, and the team that plays better should win the match. Maybe we will see a sort of instant replay similar to rugby, as this would be the fairest option.

But people, especially old people (FIFA and its delegates), are afraid of changing and live by the mantra of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".

Here's to hoping for a much needed fix.

France vs. Ireland

18th November, 2009

Stade de France, Paris

Kick-Off: 20:00 GMT (21:00 CET)

France

The French will welcome the Irish to the Stade de France for tonight's France vs Ireland football clash with one foot already on the plane to South Africa.

Raymond Domenech’s men battled the crowd and a motivated Ireland squad at Croke Park in Dublin on Saturday, and emerged victorious heading into the France—Ireland second leg of the tie.

The final scoreline read 1-0, and the result was a fair indication of how the match was played.

There was little to choose between France and Ireland in the opening 45 minutes with a few chances at both ends. In the second half, however, France was able to show their class as they poured on the pressure in the vital World Cup football tie.

Nicolas Anelka gave France the lead and a valuable away goal in the 72nd minute of this Ireland vs. France match, after his deflected effort left Shay Given helpless in the Ireland goal.

Les Bleus will know that, barring a relatively unlikely upset in this France vs. Ireland football fixture, they will be joining the list of already-qualified teams headed for the 2010 World Cup football finals next June.

Ireland

Giovanni Trapattoni’s Ireland will have it all to do as they make the trip to France for Wednesday night's crucial match.

Despite a spirited performance, France proved too strong in the second half of the Ireland v France tie, making the return tie a real uphill battle for the Irish.

Ireland will know that their best chances of qualification will again rest in their hard work and quick closing down of the French.

Player for player, France have undoubtedly the more skilled crop, but if Ireland are able to stress their opponents in to bad decisions in their own half of the pitch, rewards can still be reached and an upset could be achieved.

Robbie Keane will have to be much more present in the return France—Ireland leg, as the Tottenham striker failed to trouble the French defence in Dublin.

Prediction

Down only 1-0 on aggregate in this France—Ireland tie, hope is still alive for the Irish.

France has certainly been known to put in lackadaisical performances from time to time. Still, in the end, the home crowd and technical ability of the players should prove the difference on the night.

France v Ireland Prediction : France 1— Ireland 0

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France took one giant step towards the World Cup finals in South Africa this evening after they beat Ireland 1-0 at Croke Park in the first leg of the UEFA playoffs. Nicolas Anelka's deflected strike was enough to secure a deserved advantage for France ahead of the return leg in Paris on Wednesday.

It was a game of few clear cut chances for either side, despite France dominating possession throughout the game. Ireland for what it is worth are always going to be technically inferior to the French and had hoped that their hard work and toil would cancel out Les Bleus superiority.

But the French had other things on their mind and matched Ireland in terms of workrate all over the pitch, and when that battle was won, the French began to impose their footballing superiority on a tiring Irish team.

There were plenty of rumors flying around in the build up to the match. France's manager, Raymond Domenech, a much ridiculed figure back home, was seen to have had a huge argument with Thierry Henry in the lobby of their hotel on the afternoon before the match.

And when the French squad were inspecting the surface at Croke Park, a lone Henry sat in the dug out refusing to walk the pitch.

In truth, this was Ireland's best hope of beating the French, but in the end, the stories of disharmony in the French camp were a far cry from the team ethic out on the pitch.

In the early exchanges both sides clattered into each other in trying to make an early statements of intent. There was to be no love lost and no quarter asked for or given as both countries knew that the prize on offer was too huge to shirk a tough tackle.

France, playing their customary 4-2-1-2-1 formation against Giovani Trappatoni's 4-4-2 were always going to have an advantage in moving the ball quickly. Yoann Gourcuff, in central midfield, linked superbly with Anelka, Gignac, and Henry as the French strove to spread the Irish back four.

Gourcuff's positioning was causing Ireland plenty of problems and all too often either Robbie Keane or Kevin Doyle would have to drop into midfield to help the outnumbered duo of Glen Whelan and Keith Andrews who were battling overwhelming forces throughout the match.

And when the Irish forwards did drop deep to help out their midfield it allowed the likes of Sagna and Evra to bomb into midfield to further out number the spirited Irish.

France could have taken the lead in the first 10 minutes only for the German linesman to rule Gignac's effort out for offside, the Toulouse hit-man was sauntering back into action when he latched onto Gourcuff's weighted ball, and Ireland were thankful for the linesman catching the players infringement.

With France beginning to dictate the ebb and flow of the game and with Ireland seemingly happy to let them while looking to launch an all too infrequent counter attack, the game was starting to take on a pattern.

When Shay Given launched a long ball towards the French box. Immediately France looked unsettled, and Lassana Diarra can count himself lucky that the referee did not blow for a penalty when he led with his arm while defending the high ball against Kevin Doyle.

The ball came off Diarra's arm and fell nicely to Robbie Keane but young Lyon 'keeper Lloris pulled off a superb save to deny the Spurs man. The ball then broke free to Liam Lawrence who only had to apply the killer touch with an open goal but a superb saving block by Evra deflected the ball inches wide.

Moments later Keith Andrews found himself in space on the edge of the French box after a clever lay off from Keane but his curled effort sailed well wide of Lloris' goal.

This spurred France into action and they dominated the rest of the half without creating anything of substance. They started the second half very quickly and this good start seemed to knock Ireland completely out of their stride as France began to take over completely.

Les Bleus started to grow in confidence and their one touch passing had Ireland's midfield in sixes and sevens not knowing who to pick up or what to do next.

To all intensive purposes Ireland looked to be playing for a 0-0, and lacked ideas of any sort. And as France realised that the Irish had no ambition they imposed their game upon the men in green.

A goal was coming. It was just a matter of when and where, and if Ireland had the legs to see out the 90 without conceding.

But concentration is the name of the game at international level, and France have such good players that you knew they were going to take advantage of Ireland's lack of imagination, lack of ambition, and pure lack of concentration, sooner rather than later.

In the end the goal came as the cruelest of blows.

Nicolas Anelka picked up a loose ball around 25 yards from the Irish goal, Sean St. Ledger never closed him down, and the Chelsea striker fired home.

The ball took a massive deflection off St. Ledger's back as he tried to block the ball and the flight of the ball changed massively and swung away from Shay Given and in off the post.

The defending for the goal was shambolic.

For a start, Anelka was unchallenged in picking up the loose ball, then he was not closed down, and then St.Ledger turned his back on the ball. All of these are schoolboy errors and to make the three of them in a row in such a crucial match is criminal.

France, in the lead, then hit Ireland on the break, time and time again. But to no avail.

Ireland did manage to push France back in the last 10 minutes and only another brilliant Lloris save denied Ireland a certain equalizer, when he bravely dived at Glen Whelan's feet after Robbie Keane's flick had put him one on one with the 'keeper.

But it was a case of too little too late, and France ran out easy winners.

And now Ireland's hopes of making it to South Africa look slim in the least.

Ireland were close to pulling off a credible 0-0 draw, despite their poor performance. And they needed that kind of result to get the French public on their teams back on Wednesday.

As things transpired, France are now dead certs to make it to South Africa and it will take the kind of performance that Ireland have not produced in over 25 years to see them progress, and they only have themselves to blame.

On Nov. 14, France will travel to Croke Park in Dublin to take on the Irish National team in the most hyped UEFA World Cup playoff.

In group qualifying, Ireland finished second in Group Eight behind Italy with 18 points, while France barely missed getting the automatic bid in Group Seven, finishing just one point behind Serbia in getting an automatic spot in next year's World Cup.

This game will be the first matchup between both of these teams since 2005, in which France won their first game in Ireland in 52 years on a goal by Thierry Henry.

Here is a preview of this extremely hyped World Cup qualifier for both Ireland and France, and what each side must do in order to succeed.

Ireland

After a great qualifying campaign, Ireland will look to finish the job as now only France are in the way of Ireland going to their first World Cup since 2002.

And in the first match of this playoff, they are at home at Croke Park, where they have only lost once during this round of World Cup qualifying. It is an extremely hard place for opposing countries to win at.

And Croke Park will be a major key in this playoff, as Ireland will look to use their home-field advantage to get a victory before heading out to Paris during the second leg.

Also, the Irish will want to prove the French and their under-fire manager Raymond Domenech wrong after Domenech stated that the Irish national team are the equivalent of England's B team.

And finally, Ireland know that they will need a win at Croke Park in order to make it easier for them to qualify for next year's World Cup.

Finally, if Ireland could do all of this, they will have a great chance of qualifying for next year's World Cup.

France

After barely missing out of an automatic qualification spot in Group Seven, France will look to qualify for next year's World Cup by getting past Ireland in this playoff.

Because they failed to qualify in what was considered to be one of Europe's weaker groups, pressure has been building on French manager Raymond Domenech, and failure to reach the World Cup would be a major disappointment for the French.

So with all of this in mind, the French must come out of the gate and get the Croke Park crowd out of the game as soon as possible, as an early away goal will be crucial if the French are going to go to the World Cup.

Also, the French must also take out any momentum that the Irish have and cannot concede a goal, as the French cannot allow Ireland to have any goals heading into France on Nov. 18.

And finally, France must play with lots of heart and they know that they must get back to the World Cup.

Finally, you can definitely expect a great World Cup qualifier between Ireland and France on Nov. 14, as both of these countries want to make it to the World Cup next year, but only one country will complete the journey and get to South Africa.

Read our preview of the second-leg match on the 18th November, 2009 at our France vs Ireland preview page now!

Ireland vs France

14th November, 2009

Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland

Kick-Off: 20:00 GMT

Ireland

The Irish will know that a good home result in Saturday night's Ireland vs France football match will likely be an absolute necessity, if their hopes of reaching the World Cup finals in South Africa are to be realised.

After finishing second in Group 8 behind Italy, Ireland will square off with France on Saturday with a place in next summer’s finals on the line.

Ireland had the benefit of what can be considered a weaker group, with Italy being the only real threat. Bulgaria, who finished third in the group, were largely disappointing and Ireland had already sealed a playoff birth with one match remaining to be played.

Richard Dunne will be instrumental in defence in this Republic of Ireland v France fixture, as his experience and leadership will be called upon to withstand the lethal French attack.

Robbie Keane and Kevin Doyle will likely be the striking partnership selected by Giovanni Trapattoni to provide the fireworks in this Ireland v France match, as it is assumed Ireland will continue with their 4-4-2 formation.

France

France have been hot and cold in recent years under Raymond Domenech.

The French coach has seen the best and worst of times dating back to the 1998 World Cup title, which was followed up with an equally impressive 2000 European Championship crown.

Since then, however, France have struggled, in qualifications in particular, to leave their stamp of dominance on the European and Global stage. This is true yet again heading into Saturday night's Republic of Ireland v France meeting.

France’s second place finish in Group 7 of World Cup qualifying must be seen as a bit of a failure to some extent, as well.

France drew one of the easiest groups in qualifying and were heavily favoured to win, although Serbia edged out the 2006 World Cup runners-up for direct qualification.

The team is full of potential with some world class names in the squad, such as Frank Ribery, Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka, and Karim Benzema, but the consistency will be the main question mark hovering above the team.

A loss in this Republic of Ireland - France playoff will likely signify the end of Domenech’s illustrious reign as coach of the French National Team.

Prediction

The last competitive Republic of Ireland v France meetings came back in the 2006 World Cup Qualifying rounds. The Ireland - France fixture ended in a 1-0 French victory, whilst the reverse fixture in France saw the two teams battle out a 0-0 draw.

Ireland will know that either losing or conceding crucial away goals could spell the end of their hopes of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup, but a victory or even a goalless draw would give the Irish some significant hope heading into next week's reverse tie in Paris.

The Irish faithful will be heavily behind their boys on Saturday, and so expect a tense, tight, and most of all, exciting affair.

Republic of Ireland v France Prediction: Ireland 1 - France 1

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And read our other weekend previews too, with England vs Brazil in Qatar, Spain vs Argentina as well as Italy vs Holland all taking place on Saturday.

Everyone has heard of the Luck of the Irish, but as the last chance of World Cup Qualification draws near, maybe their luck is running out.

Ireland, led by former Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni, were confident of qualification just over a month ago, until FIFA moved the goalposts.

It's all gone downhill from there.

The FIFA change was of course the decision to make the draw for the UEFA Group play-offs a seeded draw, preventing the big guns of Europe from meeting and knocking each other out of the World Cup before it begins in June.

Ireland, who finished their campaign unbeaten, were bitterly disappointed not to hang onto a lead they took against Italy with only five minutes remaining at an almost full and raucous Croke Park in their penultimate game.

That draw secured their playoff spot and left them with one game remaining against Montenegro, again at Croke Park to try and carry momentum into the playoffs. However, since that last minute equaliser, it has been a steep downhill slope for the Irish.

From Sean St. Ledger’s goal providing one of the most memorable moments in Irish football for a long time, the Italian equaliser moments later was just the first dent in what has become a disastrous week for Irish hopes of being in South Africa.

The seeded draw was already certain to see Ireland in the unseeded pot, and their final group match against Montenegro in Dublin was an opportunity to show the rest of Europe that they meant business, to give the big guns something to think about.

It was not to be though, as Trapattoni persisted with his ultra defensive-minded play, waiting for set pieces to provide opportunity, rather than playing with a creative and attack minded midfield.

A dull and uninterested crowd saw Ireland struggle badly against a weakened Montenegro team, in a game they should really be winning.  Instead they were left scrambling for a draw and left the field with the faint echo of boos coming from sections of the sparse crowd.

Hope once again came from the luck of the draw.  With Greece in as a seeded team, the whole country seemed to be certain they would receive a second leg at home against a Greecian team deemed to be the weakest seeded team in the draw.

Once again Irish hopes were dashed when in Zurich they not only received a home first leg, they were drawn up against former World Champions France.  The task before the squad now seems improbable, if not impossible, as Trapattoni’s men must beat an attacking French side over two legs.

With the likes of Henry, Benzema and Ribery, it seems implausible that France, the 2006 finalists, will not score, leaving most Irish soccer fans re-booking their summer holidays and heading to the beaches of Spain rather than Soccer City in South Africa.

Trapattoni, who famously earns a huge amount of money for his role as Ireland manager, does have this one chance to prove his worth and take Ireland to the Finals.  However, with his defensive mentality and lack of trust in his team’s attacking ability it seems almost certain France will be playing in South Africa this summer.

Hello fellow writers. I am new here and I am writing my first article. It is about my experiences as a rookie football manager in Ireland.

I am a student in UCD, Ireland's largest university for those who do not know. There is an 11 a side student league called the superleague that is affiliated with the Leinster Senior League and FAI. It is a properly sanctioned league, although some compare it to pub league standard. I have played in the league for the past 2 years amassing over 35 appearances and 6 goals. Our team was extremely unsuccessful in this time losing 80% of our games. Although being on the losing team most of the time it is extremely gratifying playing 90 minutes and enjoying the company of friends afterwards, usually to watch Premier League football and enjoy some beverages. As a player one thinks of ideas about how they would run a team, I have gotten that opportunity.

Problems our team encountered when I was a player.

Under the teams previous managers team training was not taken very seriously. When we would get a run of games the team played well and could compete effectively. However upon returns from semester breaks we would not train and generally get hammered upon our returns. Losing 8-0 in our first game after the Christmas break 2 years ago was a bad feeling for me. What's worse is that it was a cup quarter final.

Another problem we encountered was players who were good but turned out to be poor players, let me explain.

Occasionally some of us would play 5 a side for fun. In doing this we found what we thought were some excellent players. In the 5 a side they were skillful and would score plenty of goals. Previous managers would play them and they would perform miserably. This is because 11 a side play is so different to 5 a side. The pace is so much higher, the workrate higher, the pressure higher, time and space are limited and the hits are much harder. To play 11 a side one has to be able to give and take punishment and be extremely fit to pressurise your opposite number, people who play for fun do not have these attributes.

My managerial tenure.

I took control of our club over the summer. With the league starting in late September I aimed to write the wrongs of previous managers. To solve the problem of slow starts to the league I organised some friendlies with other teams. The teams were mainly experimental, but the core of the team built up combinations and fitness, which is so important. We lost our 2 pre-season friendlies 5-2 and 4-0. However I gave game time to fringe players who are not of a high standard and tried out a 3-5-2 formation, which backfired on me. I also organised weekly training to improve our touch and fitness.

The league started off for us just 2 weeks ago. Our first game was against another team playing its first league game. A dominant first half display saw us 1-0 up at half time. Sloppy defending at the back saw us pegged back to 1-1, the first goal we conceeded from a set play this year (we conceeded none in our friendlies). Every player on the starting 11 played is heart out and our subs contributed too,  With 10 minutes to go, our right back had a 60 yard run and after beating the entire team had only the keeper to beat, unfortunately the keeper made a good save. With 5 minutes to go we were awarded a penalty. With regular penalty taker yours truly off, the penalty winner was left with the responsibility to dispatch the spot kick he won. An excellent save from their keeper saw the game remain tied. Shortly after, a quick counter attack and good passing move saw the opposition get a chance at goal. An excellently struck and ferocious shot nestled in the bottom corner. With 2 minutes to go, we still created chances and never took their foot off the gas. A defeat, but our heads can remain held high. Unusually for the superleague, the ref had an excellent game, despite somebody stealing his whistle while he bought his breakfast roll before kick off.

Our second game was just on Wednesday night. The opposition was an experienced team, together 5 years compared to our 3. Our opponents started at a ferocious pace and took the lead twice in the first half. We pegged them back both times and it was 2-2 at half time. An incident in the seond half was hugely important. An opposition player put in a horrible tackle. Our player lashed out. Both were sent off. The oppositions quick start was taking its toll. We controlled the entire second half due to our superior fitness. We scored twice in the scond half, one a free kick another a rebound from a free kick scored by yours truly. We are now 8th in the league (out of 17). We should finish higher than our bottom 2 placed finishes we did the previous 2 years.

In the games I employed a 4-4-1-1 formation. The support striker tracked back in midfield giving us a good defensive steel and solid midfield. Our next game is Wednesday, against former 2 times superleague champions. I know its not the premier league but I am enjoying my tenure as manger. Although I love to watch the beautiful game, playing and managing is of huge importance to my life.

“The procedure for the draw for the play-offs in the European zone, scheduled for Oct. 19 in Zurich, [has been] approved. Teams will be seeded on the basis of the next FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking, which will be published on Oct. 16.”

This was the announcement made by Sepp Blatter on Sept. 29.

It effectively means that should heavyweights like France, Portugal, and Russia stutter into the play-offs, they will be seeded and pitted against the likes of Ireland, Israel, and Turkey.

In a week where Ireland exercised its right to vote democratically on the Lisbon Treaty, this announcement by the FIFA big wigs stinks of cronyism. It is another fine example of the democratic, wielding arm of Blatter and his associates.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, Shay Given, has lambasted the decision. The riled Manchester City player labeled the declaration as “disgusting”.

“Before a ball is kicked, these things should be made clear, and now they change it because some of the big nations are struggling. It’s beyond belief, if you ask me,” bemoaned Given.

His manager, Giovanni Trapattoni, earmarked the ruling as “the death of football.” The men in green look set to ensure a play-off spot with two games remaining.

But now they face the imposing prospect of encountering some of Europe’s elite. Trapattoni insists his team can still defeat the so called “big boys” of Europe.

What is the rationale behind FIFA’s proposal?

Well none of the ageing FIFA aristocracy envisaged France and Portugal struggling to qualify for South Africa 2010. The commercial importance of having marketable icons like Cristiano Ronaldo and Thierry Henry in Johannesburg cannot be underestimated.

The ‘CR9′ brand would suffer with the absence of Ronaldo. Nike and Adidas understandably want to see their ‘poster boys’ present.  The Television companies want to cash in on the revenue made from advertising during the four-week media frenzy.

Of course, Caleb Folan and Tel Ben Haim don’t quite set the pulse racing. Nevertheless Ireland and company have earned their rite of passage into the play-offs.

And inevitably to a fair draw.

It seems ridiculous that FIFA have decided upon this seeding system so late into the qualifying campaign, having been forced into action by the incompetence of Europe’s elite.

It would have been interesting to see if it was Denmark, Serbia, or Slovenia ailing in the runners-up spot or third place, would FIFA have still legislated such a seeding system? I don’t think so.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Latvia, and Slovenia can feel rightly aggrieved by the decision. The trio currently reside in play-off positions after enjoying excellent qualifying campaigns.

But with the announcement from FIFA, they now look set to be eclipsed by France and company when it comes to taking that final step in qualification.

Ireland approach tonight’s clash with the Azzurri knowing that three points is a prerequisite if they are to harbour any hopes of avoiding the play-off route.

Apart from the obvious, namely Manchester Utd, Nottingham Forest, half of Ireland and a couple of Ipswich Town fans. Is there anyone in football upset to see Roy Keane failing so spectacularly at Portman Road? The answer from most people is a firm no!

That fact is hardly surprising when you are a man who admitted to deliberately going out to end a fellow professional's career or when you throw a massive hissy fit at a World Cup finals or make light of one of your players after they suffer from a heart attack.

When Keane was unveiled as Sunderland boss by Chairman and Black Cats legend Neil Quinn, most were impressed by what the former Manchester United captain accomplished in his first season as a manager. Guiding the Wearsiders from the bottom of the Championship to the title. 

But then should we really have been so surprised? After all the man did spend £50 million.

To his credit he did keep Sunderland in the Premier League the following season. But again he did spend big bucks and whenever he was in a jam he got on the phone with his mate Sir Alex (Ferguson) who was more than happy loan him a player or two.

But when the going got tough in his third season, Keane showed his true colours as a boss and walked out on Sunderland. Thankfully Ricky Sbragia saved the club from the drop on the final day of the season.

It was surprising that Jim Magilton left as Ipswich Town boss during the summer. After all he had had many successful seasons at the club on a small budget. 

It was even more surprising when the Portman Road board appointed Keane as the man to take them to the next level, highlighting his success at Sunderland.

Didn't David Sheepshanks do his homework? Keane only gained promotion with Sunderland thanks to his ability to splash the cash.

Now realisation has hit home for Ipswich and the true extent of Keane's managerial abilities are on the table for all to see.

The 2-1 defeat to Barnsley at the weekend shows he isn't up to the job and that Town are in trouble.

Keane is a proud man though and would not discuss his future at the club in the press conference following the game. He will no doubt walk out on the Tractor Boys before he is pushed.

Padraig Amond scored the solitary goal in Shamrock Rovers win over defending champions Bohemians last night to move the Hoops two points clear from Bohs at the top of league with only six games to go in this seasons campaign.

The match was a tight, tense affair that only really came to life in the final 10 minutes after Rovers had taken the lead.

The 80th minute goal came from a sloppy piece of defending when Ken Oman needlessly took Amond down midway through the Bohs half. The resulting free kick from Sean O'Connor was headed back across the goal by Craig Sives before Amond hooked the ball past Murphy in the Bohs goal via fortuitous deflection.

Amond had only been on the pitch for thre minutes after replacing Stephen Bradley as Rovers manager, Michael O'Neill, went for the win. However, the masterstroke substitution was almost undone in the 87th minute when Pat O'Sullivan took down the ex-Wolves striker Glen Crowe as he was about to pull the trigger.

Tallaght native Jason Byrne stepped up to take the penalty in front of the baying Rovers fans, but his terrible effort when high and wide without Northern Ireland international 'keeper Alan Mannus having to make the save.

O'Sullivan then saw red as he shook his fist in the referees face following the penalty miss, Pat Kelly dealing with the situation the only way he could have such were O'Sullivan's actions.

10-man Rovers then saw out the final three minutes before leaving the pitch to rapturous applause from the fanatical home support.

This match had been building for weeks, with Rovers and Bohs both enjoying a good run of form, this game between the country's two best teams was always going to have a major say in where the league title will resy this year.

With the game having been sold out for weeks, the atmosphere was white hot as the two teams took to the pitch.

The occasion though seemed to get to many of the players on show from both teams and the game quickly descended into a scrappy affair as neither side had time to dwell on the ball before a crunching tackle came in.

Both midfield's cancelled each other out completely. Bohs manager Pat Fenlon missing the best midfielder in the country's influence, Gary Deegan, as they looked to get on top of the dogged Rovers.

The best chance of the first half fell to Rovers top scorer, Gary Twigg, who latched onto an O'Sullivan through ball before seeing his chipped effort glide agonisingly past the far post with Murphy stranded in the Bohs box.

Moments later Bohs had their only real chance of the half after Murphy's long throw sent Mark Rossiter scampering free. His crisp pass found Glenn Cronin free in plenty of space and his excellent through ball put Byrne clear on goal before the ex-Cardiff mans control let him down badly.

Bohs clearly missed Cillian Brennan, Anto Murphy, and Deegan as they struggled to create any chance of substance and normal service soon resumed as Shane Robinson's and Stephen Rice's stranglehold on continued.

Bohs were slightly the better side in the second half, but as in the first half chances were scarce.

Paddy Madden, ploughing a lone furrow up front for Bohs continued to impress but the best he could attempt at goal were only half chances. Rovers went close too, with efforts from Sives and Amond before they eventually took the lead.

The win is a monumental one for the team from Tallaght. Little over four years ago, Rovers were on the verge of going out of existence only for their fans to band together and buy the club.

And now they sit on top of the Premier League in front of sell out crowds every week and are being hailed as the ideal model on how to run a club in Ireland. Michael O'Neill has done very well in his first season as manager and now Rovers sit on the verges of possible participation in the Champions League.

What a difference a few years make.