BRADLEY GETS HIS DESERVED REWARD
Rovers are seeing a return on all the hard work put in on and off the pitch
ON the night the clocks went back, Shamrock Rovers took a huge leap forward and were crowned champions of the 100th SSE Airtricity League of Ireland.
An 18th title for the Hoops, and their first since 2011, was not unexpected, even if the matter of their coronation came a little early.
No one expected Bohemians to lose at home to Finn Harps on Saturday night, which would have enabled Rovers to tie a green and white bow on the title against Derry City in Tallaght Stadium on Wednesday night.
As it is, should Rovers sign off with four wins when they resume after a Covid-19 disruption, they would finish on 50 points out of 54 - an astonishing 92.5% return.
They would also become the first team since the Rovers side of 1927 to win the League of Ireland without losing a game - it’s something to aim at.
Title success is vindication for head coach Stephen Bradley, who has put solid foundations in place, brick by brick since his appointment four years ago.
What stands out about Bradley’s work are his astute signings. He moved on players and replaced them with those who added to the quality within the group.
Roberto Lopes arrived for the 2017 season, Alan Mannus and Joey O’Brien in 2018, and Jack Byrne in 2019.
These four have been the cornerstones of the 2020 title challenge, while the signing of Graham Burke on loan from Preston was another canny deal.
But the table never lies. In 2017, Bradley’s first season, Rovers finished in third place, 22 points behind champions Cork City, in a 36- game season.
Three years on, they have won the title with four games in hand, and are currently 28 points ahead of relegated City, in a shortened 18-game campaign.
On reflection, two events, a month apart a year ago, contributed to Rovers’ march back to the summit of Irish club football.
On October 5 last, the club accepted a proposal by wealthy entrepreneur Dermot Desmond to purchase a 25% share in the club, an investment estimated to be worth €2m.
Four weeks later, Rovers won the FAI Cup, on penalties against Dundalk, in front of 33,111 fans at the Aviva Stadium, the second highest Cup final attendance in over 40 years.
From the traps in February, Rovers were out quicker than Mick The Miller and never looked back. A last-gasp winner from Aaron Greene on the opening day of the season at a drenched Dalymount was followed soon after by Burke’s five-goal haul against Cork City.
When midfield talisman Byrne scored the winner against Dundalk in Tallaght on match- day four, Rovers were already in the clear.
On the restart of the league, Rovers soon hit the levels Bradley demanded and did their bit in Europe too, with a r ecord- breaking penalty shoot- out win over Ilves of Finland before standing firm against AC Milan in Tallaght. Covid-19 confirmations of Greene and Byrne caused three games to be deferred and there was irony that a loss for bitter rivals Bohemians lifted the Hoops past the post, with 14 wins, two draws, most goals scored and fewest conceded.
The number 18 f i gures prominently in Rovers’ roll of honour. It’s not just to do with league titles but also the triumphs in the Shield and Leinster Senior Cup.
In the Extra.ie FAI Cup, the 25 record wins is more than double anyone else and Bradley and Co will be fired up to retain the trophy and complete the big double, which Rovers l ast achieved in 1987.
With a minimum €850,000 guaranteed in prizemoney between the FAI and UEFA, and the champions path beckoning in Europe next season, Bradley will hope to lead Rovers to the Europa League group phase for a second time.
Meanwhile, Waterford boosted their chances of European football by beating Dundalk 1-0 at the RSC, thanks to a 57th- minute header from John Martin.