POOM RAIDER!
Markus rescues point for Rovers
MARKUS Poom’s injury-time header rescued Shamrock Rovers as a Premier Division slow-burner caught fire at a throbbing Tallaght Stadium last night.
Rovers broke the deadlock through Darragh Burns on the hour but were rocked after goals by Patrick Hoban and substitute Danny Mullen turned the game upside down.
Just when the Candystripes appeared set fair for a precious scalp, Poom arrived at the far post to meet a Burns centre and plant a thumping header into the net.
The 93rd minute goal was crucial for the champions who couldn’t have afforded to trail the Candystripes by nine points so early in the season.
In front of a 4,883 attendance — well below a Friday night fixture — the game went ahead after a pitch inspection but the surface didn’t lend itself to a flow.
Derry suffered a late blow when midfielder Will Patching, named in the team, picked up an injury in the warm-up and was ruled out.
On a pitch that became sticky, the opening period was evenly contested with half chances to either team. But the goals came thick and fast past the hour.
For Rovers, winger Burns carried menace throughout. Early on, he cut in from the right flank and looked to thread a pass behind a Derry back three, not exactly blessed with pace.
Derry looked to the energetic Adam O’Reilly in the engine room for prompting as they stood firm.
The first excitement arrived in the 13th minute when Gary O’Neill freed Aaron Greene in the inside left channel.
Greene had the zip to leave the Derry defenders in his wake but his left-footed effort flew just beyond the far post.
Derry replied with a flurry. After Mickey Duffy and O’Reilly saw their shots blocked, Ronan Boyce found the target but his effort was too close to Leon Pohls.
Rovers went close at the midway point when Burns floated over a teasing cross but Graham Burke, arriving unattended, couldn’t get a decisive touch at the far post.
Play pin-balled from box to box with O’Reilly in the thick of things. An accurate cross in the 25th minute picked out Duffy bearing down on goal.
After stabbing the ball meekly towards Pohl, Duffy claimed he was pushed by Burns before he managed to get his shot off.
Referee Damien MacGraith was unmoved by Derry appeals for a penalty, at least on this occasion.
The busy Burns wasn’t far away with a left-footer before Josh Honohan put his body on the line to thwart Duffy.
The pattern persisted on the restart as punches were thrown but neither side needed to take a standing count.
The first serious save of the night came when Burns picked out Poom whose header was grabbed by Brian Maher, diving to his left.
Moments later, Maher was undone when Burns broke the deadlock. The architect was Graham Burke, so often a rallying point on big nights.
Gathering the ball midway between half-way line and the edge of the Derry box after good work by Rory Gaffney, he splintered the visiting Derry cover with a perfect slide-rule pass.
The ball came to Burns on his right foot but he didn’t break strike as he speared a low shot that squirmed under Maher’s right hand.
Rovers rarely cough up leads but ten minutes later, Hoban struck from the spot after being felled in the box.
It appeared a soft decision by referee MacGraith against Dylan Watts but the official was on top of the incident and didn’t hesitate with his call.
After Hoban sent Pohls the wrong way for his third goal of the season Derry were energised.
And they struck again from a corner when substitute Paul Mullen bundled the ball over the line after a corner. Rovers claimed handball but there were so many bodies, it was impossible to tell.
Just when it seemed that Mullen had delivered a dramatic winner for the second time in three days, Poom’s powerful header signed off a compelling duel of cut and thrust. SHAMROCK ROVERS: Pohls; Cleary, Honohan, Grace; Burns, O’Neill, Watts, Poom; Burke (Lopes 88); Gaffney, Greene (Kenny 64). DERRY CITY: Maher; S McEleney, Connolly, McJannet, Boyce (Kelly 65), O’Reilly, McEneff (Mullen 78), Doherty; McMullan, Hoban (Coll 88), Duffy (Todd 78). Referee: D MacGraith (Mayo).
“Danny Mullen
turned the tie upside down”