Hatful of goals but injury woe for Bradley
SHAMROCK ROVERS 4 DROGHEDA UNITED 0
TALLAGHT Stadium welcomed a new stand earlier this season but Shamrock Rovers might have benefited more from a new casualty ward at Tallaght Hospital instead. As Richie Towell limped off just past the half hour, Stephen Bradley shook his head in disbelief. Towell’s muscle injury extended an injury list like no other on Bradley’s beat, even if the cloud carried a silver lining as his replacement Conan Noonan caught the eye. Already marked absent for the Hoops are: Lee Grace, Seán Hoare, Aaron McEneff, Jack Byrne, Markus Poom, Gary O’Neill, Graham Burke, Rory Gaffney and Neil Farrugia, Including Towell, that’s ten league winners in sick bay. If there are any more mishaps, Bradley may have to dust off his boots. Even with an elite corps sitting in the stand, Rovers had enough cuteness and cutting edge to close the gap on Shelbourne to two points. With another Friday-Monday doubleheader on the way, the patched-up champions have zero time to lick their wounds. They must dig deep again and find a way, which they usually do. For Drogheda, this was a grim night in Dublin 24, not helped by an unjust red card to Jack Keaney in the second half. Usually resilient, they were guilty of marshmallow defending, were sloppy in possession, and never posed a problem for Leon Pohls. In front of a 3,847 crowd, goals on the stroke of half-time from Johnny Kenny and in-form Aaron Greene helped offset the Towell injury concern. With the kettle plugged in for the halftime cuppah, Drogheda were undone at a corner when Kenny rose to meet Dylan Watts’ delivery and score with a towering header. Moments later, Drogheda’s Oisín Gallagher gave the ball away, allowing Burns to tee up Greene for a neat angled finish – it was the striker’s seventh goal of the season. The busy Burns added the third in the 53rd minute when he ghosted past Conor Kane and rifled a right-footer beyond Barr. The keeper then repelled Honohan but the strapping defender had the final say with a thumping header for his first goal for the Hoops. SHAMROCK ROVERS: Pohls; Cleary (J O’Sullivan 75), Lopes, Honohan; Burns (Kovalevaskis 68), Towell (Noonan 33), Watts (C O’Sullivan 68), Clarke (Barrett 68); Nugent, Greene; Kenny. DROGHEDA UNITED: Barr; Heeney (Webster 68), Keaney, Cann, Kane; McNally (Bawa 54), Deegan, Gallagher (Cailloce 60), Davis (Foley 54); Markey, Pierrot (Brennan 60). Sent off: Keaney 72. Referee: R Hennessy (Limerick).