Gavin Cooney

STEPHEN BRADLEY STRODE into the press conference room at Tallaght Stadium and clapped his hands together in a chop, chop to the assembled journalists: he must have known a concession speech was likely but no harm in getting it done quickly. 

For the first time in five years, Bradley is not the title-winning manager, and Shamrock Rovers are not champions. Their 2-1 win over Waterford meant they did what was within their power on a dramatic final night, but they were reliant on favours from Derry. 

They didn’t arrive, and Harry Wood’s late winner for Shelbourne sealed an underdog title triumph at the end of a fitful, wild season. 

“When you’re in with a chance of winning a league on the last day, you’re going to be disappointed”, said Bradley.

“If we are being honest, we haven’t done enough over the course of the year. Shelbourne deserve it. They have been there for such a long time: you don’t win a league by fluke.

“We are disappointed but you have to say a massive congratulations to Damien, his staff, and Shelbourne. When you win a league you deserve to win a league, and they have won it. We haven’t done enough. We haven’t been good enough domestically. Hence why we are in the position tonight, needing things to go your way elsewhere.” 

Things did not go Rovers’ way, despite a cruelly false report of a late Derry equaliser spreading around the ground. 

“I don’t know if they were saying it was disallowed of it was 1-1, but I heard the cheer. It’s irrelevant now, it doesn’t matter.” 

Bradley was not remotely grudging in his praise for Shelbourne, but he acknowledged Rovers should look at themselves. While there is pain in ultimately coming so close, Rovers’ points total of 61 would have been good enough for only fourth in each of the last two seasons.

Rovers’ early-season falter along with Derry’s inconsistency and the rising middle classes made for a classic League of Ireland season that seemed to cleave all year to the principle of mutually assured destruction. 

While Shels were 13 points clear of Rovers at the start of September, a Rovers resurgence made easier by Shels run of 2 wins in 11 games dragged the champions back into the title race. But Rovers were not given the one, final Shels stumble they needed: Damien Duff’s side won their final three games to finish two points clear at the end of it all. 

“We haven’t been good enough, that’s the bottom line”, said Bradley.

“The players deserve tremendous credit for getting us into a title race when we looked out of it. Over the course of a season, the standards we set ourselves, we have been a million miles off it. We have lost too many games, we have conceded too many goals, and if you want to win a league, that’s not good enough. 

“We have known for quite some time, where it’s gone wrong. In-house, we reviewed it and we know where it’s gone wrong, it’s quite clear for us. It won’t happen again.

“I am not someone that sits with anger or frustration or hurt, I’ve had too much in my life for that to bother me. I will understand and reflect, make sure it doesn’t happen again and move on. We know in house why we haven’t been good enough, but someone has to take advantage and they [Shels] did.

Bradley wouldn’t be drawn into elaborating on these reasons, which he says will be kept for after the season ends, and Rovers’ will continue on until 19 December at the very least, with four more Conference League group games to come. If they can beat TNS on Thursday, Rovers will be in a strong position to make Irish football history and progress to the knockout phase. 

“We have a chance of doing something that’s never been done before in this country, win on Thursday and that will at least get us the playoffs, which has never been done.

“It’s a brilliant time to be at this club, big games, we were in a title race and we lose but that’s sport, that’s the level we are operating at. This hurts and this stings, but over the weekend we will let it sink in and on Monday get ready for TNS.” 

The absurd twists and turns of a wide-open title race has enthralled neutrals and tortured fans all year, but Bradley is not expecting a repeat experience in 2025. 

“I don’t think so, take in St Pat’s, if there was another round of games they are only going one way. When I look back on our last four years, the Covid year, if you are at your levels your points level is only going one way. It’s been really competitive and it’s been great for the neutral, for the league, I don’t see that happening again.

“From our side, the mistakes we made this year won’t happen again.”