We didn't see it coming, the Hoops had huffed and puffed in the second-half but the visitors were content to sit on their one goal lead and for most of the game they were comfortable doing just that. Then Sean O'Connor won a corner with two minutes remaining. Bradley floated the ball across goal and it fell to Purcell on the far side of the area. He turned well and fired in a fine cross that caused panic in the box. First Baker's shot was blocked then Rice fired a shot across goal and although the ball went behind Twigg the Scotsman somehow hooked the ball into the net. The crowd erupted and the sense of relief was palpable as Rovers were looking at a fifth straight defeat to their Dublin rivals.
However what happened next was incredible. Price floated a free-kick into the Bohs box and that man Twigg rose highest to brilliantly head the ball past Murphy and into the corner of the net. Bohs were shell shocked and with four minutes of added-on time they finally injected some urgency into their play but Pat Flynn and Barry Murphy were on hand to protect the Hoops sensational come-back.
The first-half lacked the passion usually associated with this Derby game and the windy conditions didn't help matters. Bohs had the wind at their backs in the opening half and started well but when Price's clearance wasn't controlled properly by Robinson the Ref. adjudged that he had taken Murphy down in the box. Byrne duly dispatched the penalty into the corner of the net.
Rovers struggled to get a foothold in the game and Barry Murphy had to be alert to tip over Brennan's free-kick from just inside the Rovers half. Cameron then put Murphy under severe pressure with a back-pass but the Hoops 'keeper cleared the ball.
Rovers tried to breach the visitors defence with a couple of free-kicks and a Rice long throw but to no avail. At the other end Murphy got past Cahill but Byrne headed his cross over the bar. In the 44th minute Crowe got past Price but shot tamely wide and the last action of the first-half saw substitute O'Connor fire a shot straight at the Bohs 'keeper.
With the wind at their backs the Hoops improved in the second-half and Rice's long throw caused problems in the Bohs defence. On 53 minutes a Bradley corner was headed on by Maguire and Twigg headed just over from close range. Rovers had their best chance in the 55th minute when Cahill went past Powell and his cross was met by Twigg at the back post but he headed the ball into the ground and over.
Dessie Baker was introduced as Rovers desperately tried to break down a Bohs side that had already decided that one goal was enough and rarely threatened the Hoops goal. As the game entered tha final ten minutes Baker almost sent Purcell away and a long Price ball saw Purcell head across goal but two defenders got across to block O'Connor's shot. Purcell tried to find Twigg with five minutes remaining but the ball spun away and Murphy was on hand to claim the ball. The cause looked lost until Rovers snatched victory in those glorious last minutes.
