Shamrock Rovers: 2
Shelbourne FC: 0
Darryl Geraghty reports from Tallaght Stadium
SHAMROCK ROVERS SOARED into second place overcoming league leaders 2-0 with Jack Byrne’s clever finish and a late Neil Farrugia goal proving enough to earn a huge three points as the title race took another turn.
A bumper crowd of 7,861 were treated to an enthralling encounter between the two title hopefuls went to war at a raucous Tallaght Stadium.
With the topsy-turvy nature of the season so far, Rovers’ title tilt looked to have gone midway through the season but have shown a level of consistency — St Patrick’s Athletic home defeat aside — that knowing that a win at home to Damien Duff’s depleted Reds would see them right back in the mix, with the caveat of FAI Cup finalists Derry City having two games in hand.
And the home side, minus their manager Stephen Bradley due to suspension, showed no sign of a European hangover starting sharply moving the ball confidently as the visitors worked tirelessly to hunt them down.
The hosts were rewarded for their impressive start when they got their noses in front in the 18th minute.
Neil Farrugia, having been incorrectly booked minutes previously, burst down the line past makeshift right back John O’Sullivan and delivered a drilled low cross in which Jack Byrne got on the end of and finished expertly first time into the near top corner for his first goal of the season.
It had been just the one win in nine prior to today and to put Duff’s selection issues into some perspective, youngster Dan Ring was named on the bench having just a couple of hours previously lifted the Mark Farren Cup with their U17s side, having been named player of the match too.
But the league leaders tried their best to respond to the setback with a spell of possession themselves but lacked the cutting edge in the final third as Leon Pohls remained untested.
Just before the half-hour mark Thursday night’s hero for the Hoops Dylan Watts could have doubled the lead latching onto a soft Kameron Ledwidge clearance but shot straight at Conor Kearns.
Ex-Rovers man Sean Boyd went agonisingly close to levelling straight after, smashing a thunderous first-time strike that looked destined for the bottom corner, only for Pohls to get down sharply to tip around the post.
Just minutes after the restart Shels went close to levelling as belief began to grow. Sean Boyd got in behind the Rovers rearguard collecting John Martin’s through ball, and the big number nine showed good awareness to cleverly cut the ball back to Ali Coote, who forced Pohls into another smart save down low.
On the hour mark, Sean Hoare spurned a glorious opportunity to double his side’s lead as he somehow found himself completely unmarked in the area, but failed to hit the target from close range with the goal at his mercy.
With the game entering the dying embers, it was still in the balance with a feisty edge expected from a top-of-the-table Dublin derby.
Both Boyd and substitute Harry Wood went close to equalising before being undone on the break as Graham Burke’s genius backheel played Farrugia clear and, from a tight angle, bent the ball into the far corner to earn a massive three points.
Shamrock Rovers: Leon Pohls; Sean Hoare, Roberto Lopes, Dan Cleary; Darragh Burns (Joshua Honohan, 68’), Dylan Watts (Aaron McEneff, 78’), Gary O’Neill, Jack Byrne (Darragh Nugent, 83’), Neil Farrugia; Danny Mandroiu (Graham Burke, 68’) Johnny Kenny (Aaron Greene, 68’)
Subs not used: Lee Steacy, Lee Grace, Sean Kavanagh, Richie Towell
Shelbourne FC: Conor Kearns; John O’Sullivan, Sean Gannon, Kameron Ledwidge, Tyreke Wilson; Ali Coote (Dean Williams, 75’), Mark Coyle, Evan Caffrey, John Martin (Dan Ring, 90+2′), Rayhaan Tulloch (Harry Wood, 63’); Sean Boyd
Subs not used: Lorcan Healy, Aaron Moloney, Sean Cummins, Tyreik Sammy, Luca Cailloce, Cian Doyle
Referee: Neil Doyle