Late Richie Towell pen hands Shamrock Rovers derby bragging rights
BRAGGING RIGHTS: Richie Towell of Shamrock Rovers celebrates after scoring his side's third goal, a penalty, past St Patrick's Athletic goalkeeper Dean Lyness during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match at Tallaght Stadium. Pic: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
It might have taken till nearly the midway point but the title race duopoly of Shamrock Rovers and Derry City is starting to take flight after a manic Monday.
The Hoops recovered from an early deficit against their Dublin rivals to twice take the lead, the third and telling goal arriving with just two minutes remaining when Richie Towell pocketed his second of the night from the penalty spot.
That’s what champions do against adversity but they’ll have the challenge of a well-backed Derry side to swat aside if their aspirations of matching their four-in-row team of the 1980s is to come to fruition.
Their manager Stephen Bradley knows the league and his squad well enough to decide when it's opportune to rotate and after his reshuffled side enjoyed a 3-0 stroll at UCD on Friday all five players rested were reinstated for this sterner test.
Neil Farrugia, Richie Towell, Gary O’Neill and Lee Grace came back off the bench while talisman Jack Byrne, excused due to a slight knock, was also back in the side and how they needed his creativity on a night the visitors bossed the opening exchanges.
While the Saints remain without a permanent manager, interim chief Jon Daly is involved in a veritable audition given the unapologetic interest in the vacancy. Twice in his thirties the Dubliner took temporary charge of Hearts and the clarity and intelligence he conveys in outlining his credentials for a stab at being the main man warrants consideration from the club’s billionaire owner Garrett Kelleher.
It was so far, so good for the stand-in 180 minutes into succeeding his former boss Tim Clancy, overseeing wins against Cork City and Drogheda United.
They were opponents that Pat’s were expected to beat whereas the trip to Tallaght to face a Rovers side who’d dropped a mere two points from the last 27 was the battle his candidacy would be judged on.
He possessed enough conviction to leave on the bench his speedster Jack Mulraney, the winger who Rovers and Derry City had spoken to as well when he chose to end his spell in the American top-flight.
Mulraney’s pace has been decisive in several games this season, including on his last visit to this stage in March when he plundered a late equaliser, but Daly plumped for an alternative attacking approach through the Doyles, restoring Eoin up top following his suspension and deploying Mark on the left.
They weren’t long in having the measure of the Rovers rearguard. Aside from an early Richie Towell effort which deflected wide, the home side spent the majority of the opening half hour defending with teenager Adam Murphy particularly prominent in midfield.
Their ploy of pressurising Rovers trying to play out from the back banked a yield from the 18th minute when they turned over possession and freed Jay McClelland towards the right side of the box. Only the classic instincts of Pico Lopes rescued them as his outstretched leg blocked the shot.
Still, it wouldn’t last long. Jamie Lennon issued another warning by sending a deflected shot wide but the Hoops didn’t survive another diverted attempt on 28 minutes.
From another kick-out, Lopes’s pass into Ronan Finn’s feet facing his own goal backfired, for Mark Doyle nicked the ball and received it back from Chris Forrester to get a sight on goal. His low 20-yarder clipped the ankle of Lopes and spun in off the post for the breakthrough.
Lee Grace was responsible for the first effort on goal after all of 35 minutes and amid all their forward riches he was the unusual source of their equaliser on the stroke of the break, rising from Byrne’s corner to plant his header home.
Rovers appeared to be back in their groove, stepping up the tempo in the second half and deservedly forging ahead on 68 minutes. Pat’s were dragged apart by Rovers spraying the ball wide to Finn and his dinked cross enabled Towell to execute a diving header eight yards out and ripple the net.
There was only one team in the ascendency but Rovers still lived dangerously, Neil Farrugia’s soft backpass with 15 minutes left gifting substitute Serge Atakayi a chance he spurned by poking the ball wide. Another impact player off the bench, Ben McCormack, did manage to find the leveller after 84 minutes by scooping the ball high into the net after Leon Pohls could only spilled a stinging shot by ex-Rovers teen Sam Curtis.
It was game on but the league leaders had the final say. Two minutes later, Tom Grivosti was penalised for shoving Johnny Kenny in the box and up stepped Towell to drill in the winner to the delight of a record crowd for a Monday night fixture.
L Pohls; D Cleary, R Lopes, L Grace; R Finn (S Kavanagh 80), G O’Neill, R Towell, N Farrugia; J Byrne, G Burke (M Poom 80); R Gaffney (J Kenny 80).
D Lyness; S Curtis, T Grivosti, J McGrath (T Lonergan 90), A Breslin; A Murphy (B McCormack 73), J Lennon; J McClelland (J Mulraney 66), C Forrester, M Doyle (S Atakayi 65); E Doyle (C Carty 73).
Damien MacGraith (Mayo).
6,212.
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