Shamrock Rovers see off St Pat's to win President's Cup

WINNING START: Shamrock Rovers’ celebrate winning the President’s Cup to get their new season off to a winning start. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

President’s Cup 

Shamrock Rovers 3 (Clarke 54’, 88’, Honohan 62’) 

St Patrick’s Athletic 1 (Lennon 90+3’)

Having sealed their record-equalling four-in-a-row league titles at Richmond Park last October, a brace from Trevor Clarke and a debut goal for Corkman Josh Honohan saw champions Shamrock Rovers begin the new season where they finished 2023, adding the first trophy of the domestic calendar with a most comfortable victory over FAI Cup winners St Patrick’s Athletic in the President’s Cup at Tallaght Stadium.

In the now traditional curtain-raiser to the new campaign, Stephen Bradley’s side maintained their hunger for silverware in proving they will once again be the team to beat as they target history by becoming the first to win five league championships in a row, beginning with the visit of Dundalk to Dublin 24 next Friday.

With the new north stand open for the first time, though not in full use, Uachtarán na hÉireann Michel D Higgins was part of a new record attendance for a domestic game at the venue of 8,053.

Beginning the game far from full strength, Rovers nonetheless took the game to St Pat’s, Markus Poom working the visitors’ on loan Brazilian goalkeeper Marcelo Pitaluga from a free kick on seven minutes.

With five new signings in their starting eleven, St Pat’s worked diligently to play their way into the game, frustrating Rovers to the extent that both Darragh Nugent and Honohan were early recipients of yellow cards.

Although not lacking intensity, the game’s only clearcut chance of the first half didn’t arrive until just before the half hour.

In a sweeping Rovers move involving Sean Kavanagh, captain on the night Aaron Greene, Poom and Nugent, former Saint Darragh Burns failed to provide the finish as he skied over the top off his weaker right foot.

With the experience of Lee Grace, Gary O’Neill, Clarke, Dylan Watts and Rory Gaffney on for the second half, Rovers upped their game to take the lead with a superb goal on 54 minutes.

St Pat’s Brandon Kavanagh lost his balance having kept the ball in play on the touchline, allowing Grace to feed Conan Noonan. A superb first time ball sent Clarke away on the left to skip a little too easily beyond Aaron Bolger and rifle a stunning left-foot drive from a tight angle past Pitaluga at his right-hand post.

St Pat’s then lost talisman Chris Forrester to what appeared to be a knee injury before further woe came their way as Rovers doubled their lead on 63 minutes.

Carrigaline man Honohan endeared himself to the Rovers diehards in the south stand when outjumping St Pat's captain Joe Redmond to power a header from Noonan’s corner to the net to score on his competitive debut.

Gaffney blasted a volley against a post before Clarke skipped away on the left again to score his second on 88 minutes, his shot going through the hands of Pitaluga.

Lennon got St Pat’s consolation in time added on, scooping home the loose ball following a corner.

Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary (Grace, h-t), Hoare (Barrett, 75), Honohan; Farrugia (Watts, h-t), Noonan, Poom (O’Neill, h-t), Kavanagh (Clarke, h-t); Burns, Greene (Gaffney, h-t), Nugent.

St Patrick’s Athletic: Pitaluga; Bolger (C. Kavanagh, 62), Redmond, Keeley, Breslin; Forrester (McClelland, 58), Lennon; B. Kavanagh (Turner, 62), Leavy (Nolan, 83), Mulraney (Sjoberg, 76); Keating (Melia, 83).

Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).

Attendance: 8,053