Bradley proud of his players as double eludes the Hoops

Macdara Ferris reports from Aviva Stadium

Shamrock Rovers has come into the 100^th FAI Cup Final seeking to go through the league and cup season unbeaten and secure the double. Dundalk had been the last team to beat them in domestic action and they did so again in the Aviva ending Rovers' run of 440 days without a domestic defeat.

Speaking to SRTV after the game, the Hoops Head Coach Stephen Bradley praised his players for their display throughout the season and rued the misses in front of goal in the cup final that cost his club their first double in 33 years.

“I’m incredibly proud of the group,” said Bradley. “I think we have had a brilliant season. “The players deserve tremendous credit.

“From day one in the season, they’ve played our style of football, been brave and played a really attractive brand of football and won games on the back of that. They went unbeaten in the league, only conceding seven goals which is fantastic. 

“We just couldn’t get over the line (in the cup final), we missed chances and Dundalk took theirs. In the second half I think we took over the game and created some really good chances.

"If you don’t take them in big games against good sides, it comes back and hurts you and unfortunately that was the case.”

Bradley brought Pico Lopes back into his team having missed the semi-final win due to being a close COVID-19 contact on his journey home from recent international duty with Cape Verde.

Lopes, who is shortlisted for PFAI Player of the Year, was named on Monday in the PFAI team of the year which would have been no surprise to Bradley who rates the defender very highly.

“He is a really important player for us. Coming into the game he hadn’t trained in a week and he looks like he hasn’t missed a beat. He has been outstanding for us this year.

"For me he is the best centre half in the country and he has been a real leader for us on and off the pitch. He’ll only get stronger."

It is expected that the league will return at the end of February and, with fans beginning to return to grounds in the UK, there is hope that when football returns in 2021 it will be in front of supporters.

“The players will get three to four weeks off like they always do and then straight back to work. The staff will be in over the next few weeks planning and making sure we are ready to go.

“We had the showpiece game of the season in an empty stadium but hopefully next year we can start to see fans filter back into the grounds and by this time next year we will have full grounds.”

| Head Coach Stephen Bradley spoke to SRFC TV after yesterday's FAI Cup Final at The Aviva Stadium pic.twitter.com/IuwSo8GQ6T

— Shamrock Rovers FC (@ShamrockRovers) December 7, 2020