WARNING.. ROVERS ARE STRONGER THAN EVER
Champs ease to victory thanks to ominous bench press and Lopes, Towell, Mceneff & Byrne sitting in the stands
SHAMROCK ROVERS flexed their considerable muscle in a President’s Cup win that was remarkable not only for events on the pitch, but for the strength they had in reserve last night.
In a display of the strength that will aim to accelerate Rovers’ historic drive for five, Stephen Bradley left an embarrassment of riches both on the bench and in the stand last night.
And yet they ultimately saw off the challenge of St Patrick’s Athletic – a team with serious title ambitions of their own – with ease.
Their five half-time changes were the key to opening up a game that, up to the break, had all the hallmarks of a rust-shedding exercise.
Trevor Clarke was one of those changes and he opened the scoring with the first of his two within nine minutes of his arrival, while new signing Josh Honohan also found the net.
Honohan and Darragh Burns were the two newcomers in Rovers’ starting-11, while youngsters Darragh Nugent and Conan Noonan also made the cut.
Joining Clarke on Bradley’s bench a glittering array of trophywinning stars, with Gary O’neill, Lee Grace, Dylan Watts and Rory Gaffney also coming on at the break.
Graham Burke was also named on the bench, while Roberto Lopes, Richie Towell, Jack Byrne and Aaron Mceneff didn’t make the matchday squad for a variety of reasons.
Ten players who would arguably slot into a starting-11 anywhere else in the league.
There might be a trophy at the end of this annual fixture, which is a fine way to kick off the season and also to pay tribute to a President with a real passion for Irish football.
But last night’s result will play second-fiddle to the message delivered by the four-in-a-row winners, with their intimidating show of strength.
Rovers’ first came from a brilliant defence-splitting pass by the outstanding Noonan into the path of Clarke, who raced in from the left and drove the ball high into the far corner.
Honohan got in front of Joe Redmond in the 63rd minute to head home Noonan’s corner at the near post to double Rovers’ advantage.
And the third, minutes from time, was one that Pat’s on-loan Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga will want to quickly forget, as he let Clarke’s low angled drive slip through his hands and into the net.
Pat’s fans will be hoping his late error is an aberration and that the 21-year-old makes a similar impact to Vitezslav Jaros, another loan signing from Liverpool whose 2021 heroics ended with an FAI Cup winners’ medal.
Pitaluga was one of five new signings to make manager Jon Daly’s starting-11, along with Conor Keeley, Aaron Bolger, Brandon Kavanagh and Ruairi Keating.
With 8,053 – the largest attendwas ance ever at Tallaght Stadium for a League of Ireland fixture – watching on, both sides shadow-boxed early on.
It was an eventful start for Pat’s midfielder Jamie Lennon, who found himself on both ends of some crunching challenges early on.
Having coughed up two fouls himself, he took umbrage with a Honohan tackle and squared up to the new Rovers signing.
The result was a yellow card for Honohan – the second Hoops name in referee Damien Macgraith inside 13 minutes, after Darragh Nugent – and a telling off for Lennon.
There were plenty of eyes on
Darragh Burns, the former St Pat’s attacker who left Richmond Park 18 months ago for MK Dons.
Back in Dublin on-loan, his decision to move to Rovers made him a predictable target for Saints fans who jeered his every touch.
Maybe Burns was too eager to make a point, because he squandered a glorious opportunity to open the scoring on the half-hour.
In the move of the match up to that point, Rovers moved the ball down the left with Markus Poom and Nugent.
The latter’s low centre was met on the stretch by Burns, who scooped his effort high over the bar from 15 yards, when Neil Farrugia behind him was far better placed to take on the shot.
But the goals finally came after the break and there could have been more. Gaffney smashed a half-volley off the near post on 82 minutes.
Moments later Anto Breslin produced Pat’s first shot on target, which resulted in a smart save by Leon Pohls, Rovers’ number one now that Alan Mannus has retired.
Jamie Lennon did score a consolation in injury-time when he converted from close range.