League Report: Shamrock Rovers 3-1 Drogheda United

Macdara Ferris reports from Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers got back to winning ways after their defeat in Derry last Friday with a 3-1 win over Drogheda United at Tallaght Stadium on Monday night. The victory sent the Hoops top in the very early season table.

First half goals from Sean Gannon and Jack Byrne and a Graham Burke breakaway goal nine minutes from full time were enough to give the Hoops all three points but only after they had some nervy moments in the second half following Evan Weir’s goal for the Boynesiders.

Drogheda United came to Tallaght Stadium with a real ambition to take Rovers on and they certainly did so in the opening period of the first half. They put the Hoops under some real pressure with Darragh Markey looking lively playing in behind Adam Foley who was a handful for Pico Lopes.

Markey had the first chance of the game inside two minutes but he couldn’t test Alan Mannus in the Rovers goal. Within a minute Foley did so with the goalkeeper having to bat behind the former Finn Harps man’s effort to earn United an early corner kick.

The visitors had a couple of early corners which proved fruitless and gradually Rovers warmed into the affair. The Hoops were always going to be a danger to Kevin Doherty’s side particularly when Jack Byrne was on the ball. The Republic of Ireland international was constantly looking to slide the ball in behind the Boynesiders back three.

The dead ball was always going to be a threat to the visitors with Byrne’s delivery and he had eight opportunities in the opening half to deliver into the box from corner kicks. Lopes went close when he got his head on a Byrne corner on 13 minutes but the first goal of the game came from open play midway through the half.

Sean Gannon raced onto a pin point pass from Byrne. He held off Weir and taking the ball into the box he fired the ball low to the left by Colin McCabe.

The lead was doubled four minutes from the break as Byrne picked up an Andy Lyons pass and unleashed a driven, dipping and delightful effort that fizzed by McCabe to give the Hoops a 2-0 lead.

Moments later McCabe did well to get down low to push a Danny Mandroiu low shot from outside the box around the post and the Hoops laid siege to the Boynesiders goal with a succession of corners in first half injury time. They were thankful to Wier who cleared one off the line so that the game stayed 2-0 at the break.

The Hoops had an early second half chance which McCabe did well to save after Gannon flicked on target a Byrne free kick from wide left.

Likely with one eye on Friday’s Dublin derby in Inchicore against St. Pat’s, Stephen Bradley withdrew Byrne on 57 minutes while his counterpart Kevin Doherty made a double substitution including bringing on former Rovers player Dean Williams up front.

And it was the visitors who got the next goal as Wier did really well to re-arrange his feet to get a shot away into the back of the net after Mannus had pushed away a Georgie Poynton cross.

The Hoops had a shout for a penalty after Danny Mandroiu raced onto a Dylan Watts ball over the top and went down in the box under pressure from Andrew Quinn but referee Adriano Reale waved play on.

Drogheda put some real pressure on Rovers late on but got caught up field nine minutes from time. Ronan Finn – one of four substitutes made by Rovers in the 76^th minute – looked up and played the ball through to Graham Burke running from his own half. He made no mistake to slot the ball beyond McCabe.

The win put Rovers top and made it back-to-back defeats for Drogheda in their opening two games of the season.

Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Sean Hoare, Pico Lopes (c), Lee Grace; Sean Gannon (Ronan Finn 76), Gary O'Neill, Dylan Watts (Richie Towell 77);, Andy Lyons; Daniel Mandroiu (Aidomo Emakhu 76), Aaron Greene, Jack Byrne ((Graham Burke 57).

Subs not used: Leon Pohls, Toms Leitis, Sean Jones-Carey, Ronan Finn, Richie Towell, Aidomo Emakhu, Barry Cotter, Rory Gaffney, Graham Burke. 
Booked: Graham Burke (88)

Drogheda United: Colin McCabe; Andrew Quinn, Sean Roughan, Dane Massey (c); George Poynton, Gary Deegan, James Clarke, Evan Weir; Dylan Grimes (Mark Hughes 59), Adam Foley (Dean Williams 59), Darragh Markey.

Subs not used: Aaron Davis, Mohammad Boudiaf, Charles Mutawe, Jack Supple, Mark Hughes, Dayle Rooney, Chris Lyons, Dean Williams, Evan Haddock. 

Booked: Evan Wier (89)

Referee: Adriano Reale. 

Attendance: 4,107

extratime.com Player of the Match: Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers)