David Sneyd reports from Tolka Park

STEPHEN BRADLEY COULD have looked to distract or focus on some of the positives, but the Shamrock Rovers boss instead played it straight.

And just like Shelbourne last night, he did so by cutting through his defence.

“It’s probably the worst defensive display I’ve ever seen from us. You’re talking about Dan Cleary, Sean Hoare, Lee Grace – I would say 12-15 leagues there between them – and we played like we’d never played a game, or together, before,” Bradley said after the 2-1 defeat at Tolka Park.

“To get done from a goal kick, which we went through during the week, we showed videos on it. It was quite obvious what they do. It was actually embarrassing to get done by that. We were really, really poor. Our back three are top players but they were a million miles away. They were dropping to play and going long. The game becomes too big. Crazy stuff.”

The two goals that won the game for Damien Duff’s side were moments of magic from their perspective, miserable for Rovers.

Mark Coyle’s sublime curled effort from 20 yards came after Paddy Barrett was able to keep a corner kick alive and Rovers failed to clear their lines.

Will Jarvis produced a contender for goal of the month – possibly the season – to make it 2-0 before the half-hour mark with a sensational bit of deft control out of the sky after goalkeeper Conor Kearns played a long ball forward.

For Bradley, these moments were symptomatic of a wider issue in the first half.

“Not respecting the game, not understanding what Shels are going to do and bring to the game. They were always going to bring the energy early on and get the crowd involved. Our back three played into their hands. If it was Josh [Honohan] in there with two young boys you’d say ‘you know what, it’s learning’, but you’re talking about three top centre halves.

“This was very, very simple. We didn’t show up defensively.”

Captain Roberto Lopes will return to training on Monday after the Cape Verde international was given extra time off following the African Cup of Nations.

Jack Byrne is also set to return on Monday while Aaron McEneff (quad) has been ruled out for at least another month after visiting a specialist in London over the past few days.

Neil Farrugia will undergo surgery on Monday and faces between 10-12 weeks on the sidelines as he recovers from the dislocated shoulder he suffered in the opening night 1-1 draw with Dundalk.

Bradley praised the fluency of his side’s attacking play in the second half and while they were unable to find an equaliser after Rory Gaffney’s well-worked goal, the Hoops boss remained positive heading into back-to-back home games in quick succession with Drogheda United and Derry City next Friday and Monday.

“That’s the course of the season, that’s football, that’s why the best team wins the league, because you are getting thrown different problems and scenarios every week. There is no point crying about it or giving out about it, it’s life, you get injuries, it happens,” Bradley said.

“We have a big squad, we have a good squad, we’ll deal with it and we’ll be fine. Attacking wise, good, tidy up defensively and that performance wasn’t too bad if you tidy up defensively. I think people, because we won [the league] and we’re favourites, people will say we’re favourites and that’s fine, that’s what comes with winning.

“But we know and we understand that winning is not easy. These players have made it look so for years, but it’s not easy. I think you saw in the first-half, if you don’t show up you don’t win games. We have to focus and go again next week.”