SEALS SEVEN Result took for Granted
Bradley’s boys Rover the moon after Sean and Roberto extend winning league run at Tallaght
SHAMROCK ROVERS shrugged off a sleepy start to make it a magnificent seven and leave Waterford singing the Blues for the second week running.
Sean Kavanagh and Roberto Lopes scored in either half as the Hoops recorded a seventh straight league win to maintain their eight point lead over Bohemians at the top of the table.
But the victory was huge significant blow landed on champions Dundalk who lost for the second time in a week and now trail Rovers in fourth by 13 points, albeit with two games in hand.
Dundalk and Bohs face each other in a rescheduled game at Oriel Park on Monday and can chip away at that Rovers advantage as the Hoops will have their feet up until travelling to Derry next Friday.
Rovers only defeat this season was away to arch enemies Bohs but the rest of the chasing pack have struggled to lay a glove on them.
They’ll be praying the Hoops suffer some sort of meltdown in a busy month as nobody looks capable of denting their swagger.
Stephen Bradley (right) named the same XI that started last week’s 3-1 win in Cork but Greg Bolger – such a key man in midfield – was injured in the warm-up and Dylan Watts replaced him.
Chastened after a 4-1 defeat away to UCD and mindful they lost the last three meetings with Rovers, Waterford started with purpose and were in no mood to sit back and soak up pressure.
That came later, but in the meantime they set about their work in a positive fashion and Irish U21 ace Zak Elbouzedi fired over from a tight angle after Aaron Drinan set him free in space. Bastien Hery popped off a shot from distance soon after but it was not a sign of things to come as Rovers stirred into life.
While Jack Byrne occasionally coughed up ball when attempting to thread it through cover, he still put Rovers on the front foot throughout while the left side combination of Trevor Clarke and Kavanagh were always in tune.
And the pair combined to put the Hoops ahead in the 27th minute. Aaron Greene’s two league goals this season does not reflect the work he is putting in leading the line and he set the wheels in motion.
He teed up Clarke who in turn fed Kavanagh and the former Fulham man continued his run of form by putting Rovers ahead for the second game on the spin with a low finish under goalkeeper Matthew Connor.
Rovers ought to have pulled further clear approaching the break, such was the way they lorded the ball but
Stephen Bradley’s side were guilty of overplaying things around the box.
Clarke remained in the thick of it. Back from the guts of a year out with a cruciate injury, and tipped for an Ireland call-up in time by recent senior recruit Byrne, he tormented Waterford’s rearguard.
And on the hour, his deep cross – after good work again from Greene – was met by Ronan Finn but the skipper’s well-timed, close-range header was snuffed out by Connor at the near post.
But Rovers got their reward in the 67th minute.
Lopes was all over Byrne’s corner and planted a comfortable header beyond Connor before Drinan snatched an injury-time Waterford consolation.
Finn Harps
0
Bohs
1 BOHEMIANS notched up their first league win at Finn Park since 2008 as they overcame basement club Finn Harps to stay second.
Daniel Grant’s first-half strike proved to be the match-winner for Keith Long’s side as winless Harps suffered their ninth defeat in 11 outings.
Bohs went close through headed efforts from Grant and James Finnerty early on before Harps conjured up their first opening on 14 minutes as Nathan Boyle showed some deft touches before his shot that was stopped by James Talbot.
Bohs deservedly took the lead on 37 minutes as Ward skipped down the left and whipped in a cross. Dinny Corcoran failed to make the telling connection but Grant was on hand to pounce.
The Gypsies almost doubled their tally two minutes later as Corcoran hit the post and, following up, Ward was denied by the increasingly busy Gallagher.
Chances were few and far between in a tight second half as Bohs held on.