Shamrock Rovers 4
Drogheda United 0
Paul Buttner reports from Tallaght Stadium
WAY BELOW their high standards in last Friday’s home draw with Galway United, Drogheda United felt the backlash from Shamrock Rovers who rediscovered their spark to record their biggest win of the season at Tallaght Stadium.
Goals late in the first half from Johnny Kenny and Aaron Greene finally gave substance to Rovers’ supremacy.
The impressive Darragh Burns and defender Josh Honohan added two more after the interval as the champions moved back second in the table, two points behind Shelbourne.
With three changes from that tame showing three days ago, Rovers were noticeably more energetic and sharper in their passing and intent here.
They pinned Drogheda in their own half from the off. Greene hit a post with Kenny shooting the rebound wide inside five minutes before Drogheda goalkeeper Jethren Barr made the first big save of the night, diving bravely at the feet of Kenny.
Barr was there again with a terrific save, denying Burns with his legs following a one-two with substitute Conan Noonan.
The overworked Drogheda defence was finally undone, not once, but twice, right at the end of the first half.
Kenny, as he did in salvaging a point on Friday, met Dylan Watts’ fifth corner of the night to outmuscle Luke Heeney and power a header to the net right on 45 minutes.
Scarcely 90 seconds later, a loose pass from Drogheda midfielder Oisin Gallagher gifted the ball to Burns. The winger’s delightful pass found the run of Greene who confidently slid home his seventh goal of the season.
Greene was involved as Rovers effectively sealed the points eight minutes into the second half.
The veteran striker fed Kenny to help the ball onto Burns who skipped past Conor Kane to rifle a rising shot off his weaker right foot to the roof of the net.
Barr kept the score down with another superb save to push away a Honohan header on the hour while, minutes later, Kenny bounced a header off the beleaguered Drogheda crossbar.
A harsh straight red card was shown to Drogheda defender Jack Keaney on 71 minutes, even though replays appeared to show no contact with Kenny as the striker went to ground in a run on goal.
Defender Honohan added Rovers’ fourth goal three minutes later when heading home a Conan Noonan corner.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary (J. O’Sullivan, 75), Lopes, Honohan; Watts (C. O’Sullivan, 68), Towell (Noonan, 34); Burns (Kovalevskis, 68), Nugent, Clarke (Barrett, 68); Kenny, Greene.
Drogheda United: Barr; Heeney (Webster, 68), Keaney, Cann, Kane; Deegan, Gallagher (Cailloce, 60); McNally (Foley, 54), Markey, Davis (Bawa, 54); Pierrot (Brennan, 60).
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Clare).
Attendance: 3,847.
Serious atmosphere here in Cavan. This is exactly where you want to be playing the All Ireland Champions. Whatever the result these games against the top 4 will stand to us in the summer months
It’s exactly the gate the county board needed as well
Mind blowing that people would actually travel to watch that rubbish sport.
@Ordinary lad: the much “hyped” Irish Rugby team lost yesterday. How much money do those lads earn?
Mind blowing that someone would take the time to open an article about a sport they consider to be ‘rubbish’ and then take the time to comment on it.
How can a team that receives €120k in funding compete against a team that receives €1.4million
Hahaha give over Al . Deep down you love the gaa
@Alan b..: Sure all the money we’ll be spending here we’ll double that funding for you pal ;)
a decent workout so far get rid of the Jamaican rum and redstripe against another nordie team who’s sole intention is to pull drag and hit off the ball.
Don’t know what game your watching. The hits off the ball have been 50:50.
Eh cavan is in the south of Ireland Einstein
fergal reilly should count himself lucky to share a pitch with these wonderful dublin footballers instead of going around like a drunk at a wedding looking for a fight.
That was stared by the Dublin man on the ground. You’re incredibly anti ulster football
And then mdma was the first man to get involved.
And who look for a figth at a wedding
ah lorcan stop it now.
fergal reilly would.
it’s north of me ya tit
@Alan b..: that explains why the dubs were late they looked at a map and headed north. When did this geographical transplant take place.
don’t be a tit like alan cavan play in ulster which is up north so they are nordies.
Cavan is not in Northern Ireland you don’t cross the border or use sterling
I didn’t say it was in Northern Ireland .
What do you mean by nordie then?if you are calling them that cos they’re north of you does that mean someone from cork would class Dublin as a nordie team
if they wanted to yes beacuse they would be northern to a Cork person now cavan is in ulster and part of the Republic of Ireland beacuse the brits didn’t want the kip so yes you are nordies which we where stuck with.
Stop you’re just embarrassing yourself
What part of Dublin are you from?
what difference does it make?
cavan play in the ulster champions with the other 8 nordie counties it’s no big deal just accept it is the way it is don’t be embarrassed alan.
All the complaints about dublins fans. Have any other county brought a few thousand fans with them today ?
@Gavin Byrne: In comparison Dublin have a fan base of about 10 times what other counties have. So of course they will bring large numbers with them.
Fair play today they really brought a fantastic atmosphere and plenty of money to Cavan town today
That a few time in the last three years the cavan has been delayed because of the fans.
If the dubs can’t make it to croke park on time how do you expect them to make it to cavan on time
@Lorcán Coyle: Should know by now that nothing in Cavan ever starts on time, nearest fifteen minutes, sure that’ll do.!!!
Ref jersey looks too like Dubs
We’ll save that excuse for later
Massive achievement if Roscommon can some how stay up in Division 1.
Lorcan are u watching the match