Shamrock Rovers' midfielder Marc Kenny can expect a heavy fine from the club after he was involved in a headbutting incident in a tempestuous Dublin derby at Dalymount Park yesterday.

Rovers manager Mick Byrne was quick to condemn the action of his deadball specialist who, incredibly, wasn't even booked following the first-half incident.

Derek Swan had brought the game to life with a sublime opening goal on 18 minutes. Robbie Brunton's ball forward was laid off by Graham O'Hanlon for Swan, who took a touch to his left before curling a delightful shot from the edge of the box into the top right-hand corner of Tony O'Dowd's goal.

Having struggled to sparkle, the game was now very much alive and it exploded into controversy on 27 minutes when Kenny elbowed Bohemians' Kevin Hunt and then headbutted Dean Martin who had squared up to him.

When referee O'Regan restored order he baffled the attendance by failing to even book Kenny who, ironically, would create and then score Rovers' equaliser four minutes before half-time.

Initially, Kenny's free-kick into the box was fumbled badly by Dempsey, who then tripped Richie Purdy. Kenny, whom Bohemians will argue shouldn't have been on the pitch, stepped up and sent Dempsey the wrong way from the penalty.

The second-half was tame by comparison, though O'Regan provided further irony when he finally began to use his yellow card.

BOHEMIANS: Dempsey; O'Connor, Doyle, Mullen, Brunton; Martin, O'Hanlon, Hunt, Byrne; Swan, Hanrahan. Subs: Lawlor for Hanrahan (51 mins), Kelly for Martin (56 mins), Mooney for Hunt (72 mins).

SHAMROCK ROVERS: O'Dowd; Britton, Palmer, Brazil, Tracey; Kenny, Dunne, Colwell; Sherlock, Cousins, Markey. Subs: O'Neill for Purdy (70 mins), Dunne for Markey (73 mins).

Referee: A O'Regan (Cork).