IT WAS party time for Shamrock Rovers on Friday night.

In what was fittingly the first game at Tallaght since restrictions were fully lifted, the Hoops clinched the 19th title in their history amid a routine 3-0 victory over relegation-threatened Finn Harps.

The 7,000-plus fans stormed the pitch afterwards, as Rovers were confirmed as champions in front of their spectators for the first time since the 1993-94 season.

Ollie Horgan’s side seldom looked capable of spoiling the moment, with the supporters in fine voice as they were given something to cheer about as early as the fourth minute, when Danny Mandroiu showed impressive pace and control, latching on to Sean Gannon’s defence-splitting pass and rounding the goalkeeper before slotting home.

A comfortable night ensued in what, in truth, has been a comfortable season for Rovers on the domestic front, winning the league with three games to spare, while the gap between themselves and nearest rivals St Patrick’s Athletic is currently 13 points.

After a recent injury put him out of action for six weeks, Burke continued his recent recovery and showed few signs of rustiness amid a 15-minute cameo off the bench. He set up a late third goal by fellow substitute Aidomo Emakhu with an incisive through pass and was among the players clutching a well-deserved bottle of beer afterwards as he revelled in a second successive Premier Division triumph.

“The last two months, we put our foot down and kicked on,” he told reporters afterwards. “When we came back after the break, it was quite level with Sligo and Pat’s. But we went to Pat’s and won that game, and since then, we just kicked on. I think everybody knew [recently] we were going to win the league but it was just about the game when we were going to do it. Lucky enough it was tonight, and now I can enjoy it.”

And what does he put the fantastic run, encompassing 12 victories from their last 15 Premier Division matches, down to?

“Maybe just that time in the season, really digging in because when it comes to the last 12 games of the season, that’s when you have to show. It really comes out who’s going to challenge for the title. We’ve won it by I don’t how many points but I’m sure we’ll go into the last three games and try to make it a bigger margin than it already is.”

Dundalk star Pat Hoban infamously suggested Rovers’ league win last season was somewhat tarnished, given that it was a shortened 18-match season, but Burke wasn’t paying much heed to those comments.

“You can look at it like that, but you can only really do what’s in front of you. If it’s an 18-game season, that’s what you have to do — win it and we won it comfortably that year too. I don’t know how many points we won by then, but this is a completely different challenge.

“We had a few hiccups during the season — lost to Dundalk and Sligo, and drew with Derry in three games. It made it that little bit closer, but coming back after the break, we were brilliant and went to Pat’s in that [crucial] game. There was only a couple of points between us and to win that was massive and I think, gave the lads the confidence to go on that run. I don’t know how many games we’ve won since the break, but before the break, we lost a couple.”

One aspect that did make it more satisfactory than last year was being able to enjoy their achievement amid an electric atmosphere compared with a virtually empty stadium in 2020.

“[The crowd] relaxed us into the game and we ran out comfortable winners. It’s completely different to last year. I remember lifting it, celebrating and there was hardly anybody there. It’s great for the fans to be here because I think this is the first time the fans have been at home to win it [since '94], so it’s a special moment for them and us. To have your family, your friends, their children, it’s special and on the night you lift it, it’s probably a bit more special.” 

One player in particular who Burke has enjoyed playing with this season is Danny Mandroiu. With nine and 12 goals respectively, the pair have been among the most potent attackers in the Premier Division.

“We both have different roles in the team,” explains Burke. “My role has probably changed in a way, I play further up. Danny plays 10 and he drifts a little bit more than me, I have to stay closer to the striker and try to get goals when I can. I do drop. But we obviously have that thing — if I’m looking, where’s Danny and Danny’s the same when I’m playing, we try to split the pitch in half and say, you work that side, I’ll work this side and sometimes, the way the game’s going it chops and changes.

“It was the same with Jack [Byrne] last season. The gaffer works on it a lot, as in how he wants to play for certain games. The actual style of play is never going to change, but there’s a lot of people in this team that are comfortable with the ball, who are creative and can score goals. There’s Dylan [Watts], there are other people. So going forward now, it’s going to be hard for everybody to try to get in the team.”

On Rovers’ matchwinner, Burke continues: “Coming in, everybody knew what Danny was as a player. You could see the quality he had when he was at Bohs that first season. I don’t know for what reason, the season before he came here, he just didn’t play that regularly. To come into a team now playing football that’s probably suited to the way Bohs play, he’s done brilliantly for us this season and long may that continue.”