Shamrock Rovers jumped to within four points of Dublin rivals St. Patrick’s Athletic after a 3-0 home win over the Saints at the Tallaght Stadium. First half goals by defender Lee Grace and captain Ronan Finn, who played in a more advanced role, gav
Shamrock Rovers jumped to within four points of Dublin rivals St. Patrick’s Athletic after a 3-0 home win over the Saints at the Tallaght Stadium.
First half goals by defender Lee Grace and captain Ronan Finn, who played in a more advanced role, gave Rovers the advantage and the capital bragging rights were secure when Sam Bone netted a third early in the second half. Grace and Bone were registering their first strikes for the Hoops.
Rovers Head Coach Stephen Bradley was pleased with his side’s performance and praised the contribution of busy midfielder Graham Burke, who appeared in the Republic of Ireland colours at Parkhead on Sunday.
“To be fair to Graham he’s taken it all in his stride. Whether it’s Sligo, Celtic, Tallaght or his back garden, he just wants to play,” said Bradley of his playmaker, who impressed for an hour in Rovers’ romp before being replaced by Luke Byrne with his side already three up.
Pats boss Liam Buckley was at something of a loss to explain his team’s capitulation, which came on the back of a four-game winning streak. “We’re missing one or two, but all the players involved have had game time this season. We’re not going to put that down as an excuse,” said Buckley afterwards. A decent Ian Bermingham chance apart, Pat’s offered little as an attacking force.
The Pat’s supremo’s attention now switches to the Friday night clash with champions Cork City at Richmond Park. “We need to have a good look at ourselves and our application. If we can address that, we’ll hopefully get a decent performance on Friday.”
