Fight night at Tallaght ends in Bradley’s favour
FRICTION was rife on and off the pitch at Tallaght Stadium but Shamrock Rovers saw off Waterford and confirmed third place with a game to spare.
With both teams already assured of Europe next season, there was only bragging rights and a prize money differential of €10,000 on offer in this penultimate fixture.
Still, they delivered a cracker. Four goals were spiced up by red cards for the two managers as well as seven bookings.
Early pressure from the home side led to Garry Comerford turning Dan Carr’s cross into his own net after 11 minutes before the Englishman bagged one by wriggling free 10 minutes before the break. Despite Izzy Akinade giving the Blues hopes by planting home a header with 17 minutes left, substitute Sean Boyd secure the points for Rovers three minutes from the end.
Stephen Bradley and Alan Reynolds were sent to the stands early in the second half and though their exchange was hardly heated, it was sufficient for Rob Harvey to order them off.
It was in keeping with an incidentpacked evening which ended a stellar second half of the season for Bradley, leaving in his wake a disastrous first part which ended their title aspirations before they’d even begun.
By June 1, just four months into the season, Dundalk had inflicted an eighth league defeat of the campaign by thumping them 5-2 on a night Rovers fans chanted for a change of manager.
They’ve since gone on a run of just one defeat in the league since, although FAI Cup and EA Sports Cup exits to First Division Drogheda United and Longford Town means another season without a trophy.
A brisk start, with Carr lively from the off, laid the foundations for the Hoops giving their fans something to sing about in their final home game.
Dylan Watts had a header disallowed for offside inside a minute but they soared ahead from Carr’s teasing cross. Although Dean O’Halloran forced Alan Mannus into a save and Rory Feely struck the post for Waterford, Carr made the most of Joel Coustrain’s cross to fire in the second.
After Akinade reduced the arrears, Joey O’Brien’s diving header struck the crossbar before Finn stood up a cross for substitute Boyd to nod in at the back post.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: A Mannus; Bone, Grace, Lopes, O’Brien; G Bolger, D Watts; Coustrain (A Bolger 74), Finn, Carr (S Boyd 79); Shaw (B Kavanagh 64).
WATERFORD: N Corbet; R Feely, K Browne (D Hutchinson 46), G Comerford, D Barnett; P Keegan (N Baba 68); S Aborah, S Puri (I Akinade 46), B Héry, C Galvin; D O’Halloran.
REF - R Harvey (Dublin)