No dream finish for brave Hoops

AT THE end of a heartwarming season there was, sadly, nothing but cold comfort for Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght on a night when, despite a comfortable 4-0 four-nil win for Spurs, both teams bowed out of the Europa League — and, of more significance for the home side, Michael O’Neill took his own final bow as manager of the Hoops.

O’Neill said afterwards that it had been “a disappointment” to lose his last game by a heavy margin but conceded that his side were “well beaten by a better team”.

Thanking the players, supporters and staff at Rovers but, following the intervention of the club press officer, declining to expand on a previous comment that his departure had not been amicable, O’Neill said: “If I’ve left the club in a better state going forward, then I’ll be very satisfied. We’ve won three trophies in three years and the club has a lot more money in the bank than it had when I arrived, so I think we’ve achieved an awful lot in those three years.”