Rovers end title wait after night of drama

THEY think it’s all Rovers – it is now.

Twenty-three years after the loss of Milltown, 16 years since they last won the title, five years on from when the club faced extinction and just two seasons since they started a new life in Tallaght – football finally came home for Shamrock Rovers last night.

The last act of a momentous season might have taken place beside the sea in Wicklow rather than in the foothills of the Dublin mountains, but the Carlisle Grounds must have felt like a home away from home for the Hoops as their 3,000 travelling supporters in a crowd of 3,500 erupted in celebration and invaded the pitch at the final whistle.

Mind you, their heroes had put them through the wringer first last night, as they had done so many times before in the campaign run-in, coming from one down to win their 16th title with goals from Gary Twigg – his 50th for the club – and Thomas Stewart.

That Bray too bounced back to level the scoreline on the night was ultimately of no great consequence for, despite Bohemians’ victory over Dundalk at Dalymount Park bringing them level on points at the top, the draw in the Carlisle Grounds proved just enough to give Shamrock Rovers the title on goal difference.

Surrounded by jubilant fans at the final whistle, Rovers manager Michael O’Neill said: “This means everything to me and to the long suffering supporters who stuck with the club through the hard times.

“Mentally this was a tough night for us and if I’m being honest my immediate feeling is one more of relief than joy.

“But that will come over the next hours and days. I feel we have written the first chapter in a new history of Shamrock Rovers.’’

As Pat Devlin had promised, the home side did themselves and the league proud with the quality of their performance.

Despite all the speculation about Bray perhaps fielding a weakened side ahead of Tuesday’s relegation play-off in Galway, Devlin actually sent out a strong line-up shorn of just two regulars – Derek Prendergast and Danny O’ Connor – out through injury and suspension respectively.

James Chambers, having failed a late fitness test, was initially confined to the bench for Rovers but, true to his word before the game, O’Neill went for an attacking line-up, with Gary Twigg joined up front by Dessie Baker on his valedictory appearance in Irish football.

But it was Bray who began brightly, skipper Gary Dempsey sending an early free-kick winging wide of Alan Mannus’ post as the Seagulls took the game to the champions elect with the bold purpose of a side with nothing to lose.

Shamrock Rovers badly needed something to settle their obvious last-night nerves, especially when, 12 minutes into the game, the word came through from Phibsborough that Bohemians had broken the deadlock against Dundalk.

But as the home side continued to dominate in Bray, it was the 11/1 outsiders who took a thoroughly deserved lead on 20 minutes, when Jake Kelly fastened onto Chris Shields’ ball over the top and – with referee Alan Kelly correctly playing advantage despite a foul on Shane O’Neill – coolly lobbed Mannus in the Rovers’ goal.

The sense of shock around the ground was palpable; not for the first time this season but definitely for the last, if Rovers were going to win the title they were going to have to do it the hard way.

And it could have been much worse for the Hoops with less than half an hour gone after the impressive Kelly had the ball in the net again following a quickly taken free, only this time to see his effort ruled out by a dubious off-side flag.

Meanwhile, the veteran Matt Gregg still had yet to make a save of consequence in the Bray goal.

But Rovers were thrown a lifeline four minutes before the break when, before he had a chance to intercept a long ball from Craig Sives, an unlucky slip by Shane O’Connor allowed Gary Twigg a run on goal and, after he’d taken the scenic route around Gregg, the ace striker kept his composure to find the corner of the net from an acute angle.

It was a goal which disguised a multitude of failures by Rovers up to that point but that mattered little to their supporters who were suddenly transported from the depths of gloom to the heights of ecstasy.

And within just 15 seconds of the restart, they had turned the Carlisle Grounds into their own field of dreams as Dessie Baker and Gary Twigg combined to set up Thomas Stewart, whose composed side-footed finish put Rovers 2-1 up and within touching distance of the title.

The speed with which the Hoops had turned the match around not only confirmed how transformative a goal can be but also suggested that O’ Neill – who had reportedly gone “ballistic” at half-time against Drogheda last week – must have gone positively thermonuclear in the dressing room this time around.

But though Rovers were much improved, a Gary Dempsey free-kick which went narrowly wide of the target just short of the hour mark, served notice that Bray had not given up on their desire to spoil the party.

And, sure enough, in the 69th minute, the home side were back on terms, substitute Gary Shaw heading home Daire Doyle’s pinpoint cross.

In the dying moments, word that Bohemians had gone 3-1 up against Dundalk in Phibsborough only added to the knife-edge tension of the occasion in Bray and made for a nerve-jangling finish before relief gave way to joy unconfined for the Rovers team, staff and supporters.

Champions League football now beckons but, first up, there’s the small matter of an FAI Cup final against Sligo, as Shamrock Rovers look to end an already historic season with a celebration on the double.

BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg, Webster, Massey, Mitchell, O’ Connor, Dempsey (Baker 63), Doyle, J. Kelly, G. Kelly, O’ Neill, Shields (Tresson 81)

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus, Flynn, Price (Murphy 84), Sives, Stevens, Dennehy, Rice, Turner, Stewart, Baker (Fenn 67), Twigg (Chambers 62)

Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).