Mandroiu at the double as Shamrock Rovers close on Derry
Rovers' Daniel Mandroiu celebrates scoring their second goal. ©INPHO/Peter Fitzpatrick
Danny Mandroiu’s first-half brace proved the difference as Shamrock Rovers moved within a point of leaders Derry City with a comfortable victory over Finn Harps.
Mark McGinley pulled off a string of stunning saves as Rovers assaulted the Harps goal in the second half but couldn’t find a way past the keeper.
It didn’t matter in the end as Mandroiu’s brace, following Roberto Lopes’ opener, was enough to see Rovers capitalise on Derry City’s draw with Bohemians.
Conor Tourish had given Harps some hope of a comeback with a fine header late in the first half but the home side dialled up the pressure after the break in front of 4,687 fans.
The Hoops led 3-0 by the 28th minute as Jack Byrne and Mandroiu showed their class, but it was rough justice on a Harps side who created chances of their own.
Mandroiu looked a man on a mission from the first minute and he was inches from finding the top corner with a bending shot inside five minutes.
Harps felt aggrieved at the manner of the opening goal as McGinley felt Rory Gaffney’s challenge for the ball was illegal, but Lopes happily fire into the empty net.
The visitors looked to hit straight back and it took a strong save to deny Yoyo Mahdy from point blank range after Barry McNamee had slipped in the ex-UCD striker.
That save was amplified in importance three minutes later as Mandroiu dived to meet Sean Gannon’s cross and, though he missed with his head, the ball cannoned in off his chest.
Richie Towell, one of four players returned to the Hoops line-up from last week’s draw with Sligo Rovers, blasted a shot over from 20 yards.
Former Rovers defender Ethan Boyle, playing in the anchor role, then forced Mannus into another stop with a smart back header from Ryan Rainey’s long throw.
Again, Rovers went straight up the other end and made it three, Jack Byrne’s stunning cross met by Mandroiu, and this time he connected with his diving header to beat McGinley.
Harps kept plugging away and got their reward as Tourish met Jesse Devers’ cross with a bullet header to give the half-time scoreline a more reflective look.
If the first half was relatively close on the pitch, the second half was anything but as Rovers laid siege to the Harps goal only to find an inspired McGinley in their way.
He made two smart stops in the first five minutes of the half to deny Mandroiu and Towell, while sub Aidomo Emakhu was unlucky to turn Graham Burke’s cross wide.
Mandroiu should have had a third but he miscued his header from three yards, before McGinley pulled off another big stop to deny Emakhu after a weaving run.
Emakhu was desperately unlucky not to make it four as he shot following another winding run, but his low effort bounced back off the inside of the post.
McGinley pulled off another stunner to deny another sub, Aaron Greene, before somehow denying Emakhu after Tourish had blocked from Towell.
Alan Mannus; Sean Gannon, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace (Seán Hoare); Andy Lyons (Barry Cotter 60), Richie Towell, Chris McCann, Sean Kavanagh; Jack Byrne (Graham Burke 46), Danny Mandroiu (Aaron Greene 60), Rory Gaffney (Aidomo Emakhu 46).
Mark McGinley; Erol Erdal Alkan, Conor Tourish, Rob Slevin, Regan Donelon; Ethan Boyle; Ryan Rainey, Jesse Devers, Barry McNamee (Luke Rudden 71); Yoyo Mahdy (Nathan Logue 83), Filip Mihajlovic (Sean McDermott 89).
Tom Owen (Wales).
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