Bradley: People thought world had ended
SHAMROCK Rovers manager Stephen Bradley says that last night’s 3-0 victory over champions Cork City proved that critics had exaggerated the extent of club’s problems during a rough month.
Bradley came under pressure after a run of six games without a victory stretching back to March 30, but that sequence was ended in style as they registered an impressive win over the double champions at Tallaght last night.
The Rovers boss said it showed that the Hoops are going in the right direction and he feels there was an overreaction to the backto-back defeats to Bohemians and Bray Wanderers that raised questions about his management.
“We had a bad five days and people thought the world had ended,” said Bradley.
“When you analyse it, we weren’t playing badly, we were playing well.
“We should have beaten Bray. We should have beaten Limerick (1-1 draw) and we should have won in Derry on Friday (0-0 draw).
“In the last three games we didn’t take chances but tonight we took our chances.
“The world ended for some people but we had a look at it and knew what we did, and the mistakes we made, and got back to doing what we were good at. We didn’t panic.”
Ireland manager Martin O’Neill was present at the Rovers victory with rising star Graham Burke opening the scoring with another stunning strike from distance.
With Cork losing in Tallaght, Dundalk moved back to the top of the table on goal difference after a 5-0 win over St Patrick’s Athletic.
IN the midst of a manic fixture schedule, this was a magic Monday for Stephen Bradley’s Shamrock Rovers.
Tactical changes and talented players helped to deliver this emphatic success over a Cork City side that completely lost the efficiency that gave them victory over Dundalk 72 hours earlier.
Bradley desperately needed this victory after a month – and six games – without a win had placed pressure on his shoulders. There were signs of encouragement in Derry on Friday, however, with a switch to three at the back allowing their capable midfield players to dominate that area.
They still gave Cork chances, but it was telling that Bradley was able to withdraw the inspirational Graham Burke to a standing ovation with 15 minutes to go. The points were in the bag.
Burke had delivered the perfect start just as Ireland manager Martin O’Neill was arriving to take his seat. And if the 24-year-old keeps scoring goals of his quality, then he will attract the kind of attention that will inevitably bring him onto O’Neill’s radar – especially with Ireland’s goalscoring issues.
The former Aston Villa youth needed to get home to rebuild his confidence and the swagger was apparent when he controlled a high ball well in the third minute to create space that he capitalised upon with a stunning right-footer into the top corner.
That’s his ninth goal of the season, a decent haul considering he’s more of a number ten than a poacher.
In Bradley’s new system, he was essentially paired with Ronan Finn in the attempt to provide support to Gary Shaw. Greg Bolger and Aaron Bolger (no relation) sat a little deeper and they were influential.
Aaron, the younger of the two by almost a dozen years, is an 18-yearold Leaving Cert student with serious potential.
The diminutive midfielder is a talented footballer who can look after himself on the pitch too, as evidenced in a fearless approach to a 50-50 challenge with Conor McCormack where he prevailed. That was the story of the half, with McCormack below par. When he struggles, so do Cork.
By 24 minutes, they were two down with left wing-back Sean Kavanagh’s corner flicked in by the right wing-back Ethan Boyle. For the latter, it was a sweet moment given he’s endured some tough times this term.
ADULATION
Similar comments apply to young goalkeeper Kevin Horgan who also received adulation for a pair of brilliant stops to deny Garry Buckley and Barry McNamee from halving the deficit before the interval.
McCormack and Danny Kane were replaced by Caulfield in a half-time double sub with the reshuffle moving Barry McNamee to a central berth with Karl Sheppard introduced on the right. He was denied by a last-ditch Joey O’Brien tackle when racing through on goal, but Cork had enjoyed a some good luck at the other end prior to that.
Indeed, for a side that had kept four clean sheets on the trot prior to this game, they were surprisingly porous defensively and they conceded a third on the hour mark when Roberto Lopes got the final touch on a Burke free that made its way through a crowd of bodies. Cork had no response.
SHAMROCK ROVERS – Horgan, O’Brien, Lopes, Grace; Boyle, G Bolger, A Bolger, Kavanagh; Burke (McAllister 74), Finn (Miele 81); Shaw.
CORK CITY – McNulty, Horgan, McLoughlin, McCarthy, Kane (Keohane 45); McCormack (Sheppard 45), Morrissey (O’Hanlon 67); McNamee, Buckley, Sadlier; Cummins.
REF – R Rogers (Cork)