Rovers do just enough to swat away tame Derry

In terms of value for money, Shamrock Rovers did not short-change the football crowd at Tallaght Stadium which included a boisterous bunch of Germans. The Bayer Leverkusen supporters were getting in their fix before their team go for the Europa League trophy in the city on tomorrow night.

But from their own point of view, this 1-0 win over Derry City was a case of the champions making a statement about their own trophy ambitions this season.

One goal, scored as early as the seventh minute, had to do in putting Derry to the sword. Johnny Kenny was on target in a game where the scoreline did not reflect the home side’s dominance. But Rovers will hope that a win and a clean sheet will carry weight in their bid to come out of a mid-season slump and push leaders Shelbourne, with the two Dublin rivals due to meet in Tallaght Stadium on Friday night.

Rovers seemed to sense weakness from the off. Not even two minutes had passed when Rovers almost took the lead. The chance came from a long ball out of defence from Dan Cleary, Johnny Kenny got the better of defenders Cameron McJannet and Shane McEleney, caught ’keeper Brian Maher off his guard and sent in a shot where City were only saved by a goalline clearance from Adam O’Reilly.

It took them just seven minutes to take the lead, though. A shot from Graham Burke came off the chest of Maher. City’s defence was slow to react and Kenny had the vision to follow up and send home his seventh goal of the season. Derry hit back almost immediately, a shot from O’Reilly going just over the crossbar.

On 19 minutes it should have been 2-0. Kenny again was the threat, and as he bore down on goal he was tripped in the box by McJannet, no complaints from the Derry captain when referee Damian MacGraith pointed to the spot.

Duty fell to former international Burke, but his run-up was unconvincing and Maher guessed correctly, diving to his right to save the penalty.

Derry did have some spells of possession and with men like Will Patching and Michael Duffy they had the potential to pose a real threat, but what they offered lacked conviction, summed up by an effort from Cameron Dummigan on 35 minutes which was off-target.

Rovers had been forced into a change in the first half, Seán Kavanagh unable to carry on which led to the addition of Jack Byrne but Derry’s changes were voluntary. After that sub-par first half, something else was needed so Sam Todd and Patrick McEleney were brought on for the start of the second half as Dummigan and Ciarán Coll made way. And there did seem to be more intent from Derry.

Opportunity

They had a good opportunity just two minutes after the restart, a surging run and powerful shot from Ronan Boyce which was just wide while on 58 minutes defender McJannet was the source of another effort, a move down the left and a cross which just did not fall for Danny Mullen.

Rovers had absorbed the Derry pressure without too much stress and then on the hour mark, the home side came up with something on the counter-attack. Jack Byrne’s eye for a pass picking out Burke who advanced on goal, but he was put off his stride by Todd and the effort went wide.

With talisman Pat Hoban out through suspension, Derry could not find that route to goal as even the guile and experience of Duffy and Patrick McEleney could not see City open up the home side. Rovers did come close to adding a second goal, Roberto Lopes with a header from Byrne’s corner on 75 minutes that was narrowly wide.

Sub Sadou Diallo had put more steel in the Derry midfield but his energy and McEleney’s prompting yielded nothing in terms of threats as Rovers saw out a win which will be key in their title defence.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Pohls; Honohan, Cleary, Lopes; Farrugia, Poom, Kavanagh (Byrne 35), Clarke; Burke (McEneff 68), Nugent; Kenny (Greene 68).

DERRY: Maher; S McEleney, McJannet, Coll (Todd 46); Boyce (Diallo 71), Dummigan (P McEleney 46), O’Reilly, Duffy; McMullen, Patching (Patton 83); Mullen (Kelly 71). REF: D MacGraith.