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GAME DETAILS
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Tallaght
Friday, September 29th, 2023 k/o 19:45
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League of Ireland
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Attendance: 7,879
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DT92 Members at this game: (you can click here to load your profile picture) |
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gashead eric
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gashead eric
91 |
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Shamrock Rovers
1
Shelbourne
0
Burke (72''minutes, Dismissed at 78''minutes)
THE big wheel keeps on turning and Shamrock Rovers are rolling, rolling towards four-in-a-row.
At this stage in the title race, the Hoops would settle for churning out results by any means necessary and they survived an injury-time onslaught and penalty appeal.
But after an even opening half against a Shels side that put it up to them, the leaders upped the ante after the break and showed their experience and class.
Graham Burke’s low strike with 18 minutes to go sealed a precious win and it may well be the goal that secures another league crown.
Burke’s own night ended in controversy six minutes later as he saw red for a second booking after a robust tackle on Mark Coyle.
But he had played his part as the Hoops - who saw Jack Byrne return - took a giant stride towards the title, maintaining their five-point lead with four games to go.
Determined not to let the chasing pack in the back door at this late stage, this felt like a significant night and the fans knew it too, judging by the roar on the whistle.
Hoops boss Stephen Bradley said: “We know it’s a really important win with four games left as Shels don’t give away many goals. We know it’s a big three points.
“We’ve been here before and we know what’s in front of us. You have to enjoy these nights.”
And Rovers defender Lee Grace said: “We knew how big this game was. You try not to build it up but, this close to the end of the season, there’s so much on the line.
“We want to win four in a row and it was a massive win. We’re nearly there but we won’t get carried away.
“We dominated the ball in the first half and Graham got a brilliant goal, but then he gets sent off and we have to dig in, but a lot of lads stepped up tonight.”
Neither goalkeeper had a great deal to do in the first-half, but it was always an engrossing contest.
The Hoops had more possession and scrambled opportunities to break the deadlock, but Shels were always a threat on the break.
And particularly so down their left flank where Hull City loan star Will Jarvis - deployed as a wing-back this time - caused all sorts of bother only to fade after the break.
Still he gave Ronan Finn and Dan Cleary a torrid time and made numerous bursts into the box, only for moves to break down just when it mattered most.
But the intent was there and with his Tigers clubmate Harry Wood just as effective further inside, and ably supported by Jack Moylan, the Reds packed a punch.
Roberto Lopes powered a header just over from a Markus Poom free-kick after Portuguese wing-back Euclides Cabral gave away a needless free-kick.
Burke then pinged a shot wide from distance and Rory Gaffney was deemed offside when stabbing off target from close range.
Wood found himself in a good position in the Hoops box but after Jarvis skinned Cleary to tee him up, the Englishman fluffed the shot and hit fresh air.
Referee Damien MacGraith’s night was cooked by the 37th minute after appearing to suffer a calf injury.
He stopped the game for treatment and then played on, but only lasted two more minutes before fourth official Paul McLaughlin replaced him.
Both sides continued to trade half chances before the break with Cabral finding Alan Mannus with a shot that lacked conviction.
JJ Lunney was guilty of the same when played in by Wood, but his angled shot from inside the box was always veering off course.
And on the stroke of half-time, Gary O’Neill at least found the target from Gaffney’s pullback but Conor Kearns easily had his measure.
But Rovers were tenacious thereafter and tore into Shels, peppering Kearns with three efforts in as many minutes.
First, after a goalmouth scramble, Gaffney hooked a shot at goal which was saved on the line by the goalkeeper.
Kearns then spilled a Poom shot down low but did enough to keep Finn at bay when scrambling for the loose ball. The Rovers skipper beat the ground in frustration.
And then Gaffney - from Burt’s through ball - ended up running too wide when rounding Kearns when an initial snapshot might have yielded a return.
But Shels eventually cracked and the Hoops got their reward as Burke held off Lunney to beat Kearns with a low shot into the corner from 22 yards.
Shels appealed for a penalty in injury-time after the ball clipped Richie Towell’s arm and the Reds applied fierce and relentless pressure.
Duff’s men scuppered Rovers with a late, late equaliser at Tolka Park in their last meeting and Rovers were under the cosh in those dying minutes.
Bradley took to whipping up the crowd as his team were pinned deep, but the champions held out for a huge result in their quest for four-in-a-row.
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