Shamrock Rovers headed to Richmond Park to take on St. Patrick’s Athletic, knowing anything but a defeat would guarantee them the title. At the same time, Derry City headed to the RSC Stadium to take on Waterford FC and also had to win to prevent the Hoops’ celebrations with three games remaining.
However, it was a disappointment for Stephen Bradley and his side as Shamrock Rovers were defeated 1-0 via a magnificent strike from former Hoop, Simon Power. In Waterford, Derry City won 2-1 after coming from behind to further reduce the gap between the two. Rovers now head into a huge Conference League tie with NK Celje on Thursday after back-to-back defeats. This is the first time Bradley’s side have lost back-to-back games since the opening day defeat to Bohemians at the Aviva Stadium and the Conference League tie with Molde.
First half
This fixture took time to get going as both sides struggled to get a foothold in the game, with many turnovers throughout. Neither side could get a hold of possession and offer sustained pressure, but it was the home side that looked more threatening. Shamrock Rovers recorded 68% possession in the opening half despite recording just three shots. St. Patrick’s Athletic, who recorded 32% possession for the first half, had nine shots, as one inevitably went into the net.
Simon Power’s unstoppable strike came in the 37th minute as he cut back on the left flank. He dispatched it into the top right corner, leaving Ed McGinty with little chance of stopping it. Despite Shamrock Rovers only registering nine shots in the first half, they entered St. Patrick’s Athletic’s final third 29 times.
Another sign of the Hoops struggling to get a grasp of the game was the number of fouls they were committing. They committed five fouls and picked up three yellow cards. Sean Kavanagh, Darragh Nugent, and Matt Healy all went into the referee’s book before the interval, which suggests a display of frustration.
Second half
The second half continued similarly for Shamrock Rovers; they dominated possession with little to show for it. St. Patrick’s Athletic set up defensively, anticipating additional pressure from the away side and managed the game well. At times, it was St. Pat’s who looked the more likely to net the second goal of the game.
Rovers recorded six shots in the second half, but did not often look like threatening the important lead held by Stephen Kenny’s side. The shots came from the 66th minute onward, and signed off with a chance from Graham Burke that looked like it had the ingredients to loop Joseph Anang for what would have been a monumental equaliser.
Rory Gaffney made a positive impact on the derby after his introduction in the 64th minute. Gaffney had two good opportunities to level proceedings as one forced Anang into an impressive save. St. Patrick’s Athletic recorded three more shots in the game than their opponents and earned themselves a crucial win as they try to earn a European spot.
Post-match reaction
In his post-match interview with Off The Ball, Stephen Bradley was asked if the pressure of the title led to the defeat. Bradley insisted that the players “don’t put pressure” and that the dressing room remains calm before big games. Despite Shamrock Rovers missing their second attempt at sealing the title, the head coach remains calm. When asked about it, Bradley said that they wanted to “wrap it up” last week as his side lost to Shelbourne. “It’ll happen when it happens” were the words from the manager, referring to the numerous titles he has won with the club.
Stephen Kenny began by questioning the length of additional time and the extra couple of minutes that were played. He told Off The Ball that the team was not “patting themselves on the back” when reviewing the one win in isolation. The St. Pat’s manager acknowledged the pain of the FAI Cup semi-final defeat to Cork City. He said it has been a “long two weeks”. Kenny is looking straight ahead to their clash with Bohemians on Monday night as they continue their pursuit of a European slot.
What it means and looking ahead
Shamrock Rovers remain top of the League of Ireland Premier Division and remain overwhelming favourites to claim the crown. Despite missing two opportunities to seal the title, the Hoops are six points clear of Derry City. Rovers have three games remaining and make the trip up north next Sunday to take on Derry City.
Before that, Rovers take on Slovenian outfit NK Celje in the second Conference League fixture. Last time out, the Hoops suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Sparta Prague. Another tough night will be expected in Tallaght Stadium as NK Celje are the current leaders of the Prva Liga.
Stephen Bradley remains calm when discussing the title and the outside chance that it could head elsewhere. Despite Derry City being only six points behind the 21-time champions with two games remaining, there is a difference of 13 in the goal difference.
The Hoops have their third opportunity to confirm the title when they head to Derry next week. Anything but a loss will mean the title is sealed there and then against Tiernan Lynch’s side.