BANG UP FOR IT
Rovers take no chances by recording convincing win
SHAMROCK ROVERS got their teenage kicks seeing off Bangor Celtic but needed some old pros to get them motoring.
With another European mission coming down the tracks on Thursday, Hoops boss Stephen Braldey had the luxury of blooding newcomers and handing youth its chance.
New signings Simon Power and Daniel Cleary started and the latter marked his debut with the fourth goal, while the former flew under the radar but needs game time.
Bradley also played six teenagers – three of them from the outset with Cory Osullivan, 16, and highly-regarded Justin Ferizaj, 17, starting for the first time.
Aidomo Emakhu, 18, is established in the first-team and scored the third, while Gideon Tetteh, 17, and Mikey Leddy and Sean Carey, both 18, all came on.
Yet Rovers needed goals from senior stars Rory Gaffney and Sean Hoare to set them on their way against a Bangor side playing just the third game of their pre-season.
From the Leinster Senior League’s top flight, six of their starting team had League of Ireland experience at some point but, predictably, Rovers bossed it.
And they should have led by more than a single Gaffney goal at the break.
The striker already had one chalked off for offside before his 32nd minute breakthrough, as did Neil Farrugia who was a handful raiding the right.
He banged off two good shots that required saves from Adam Hayden, while Emakhu went close after twisting and turning like an eel in the box. But the goal was coming and Gaffney unleashed a rocket high into the net with an angled shot after Sean Gannon set him free.
And he should have doubled his tally four minutes later but, from a yard out, somehow hit the bar with a dangling leg.
It remained a stroll for the League of Ireland champions in the second half – and they soon pulled clear.
Power will benefit from his 59-minute run out, even if Rovers fans got no real sense of their new signing’s ability.
With Bangor tiring, Hoare applied a finish from close range to double Rovers’ advantage on 66 minutes. And Emakhu’s persistence paid off eight minutes later when he dinked over Hayden.
Cleary, who signed from St Johnstone this week, capped a solid debut with the fourth in the dying stages.