Hoops stretch lead at the top with win over Candystripes

Rovers are now 10 points clear going down the stretch. 

Rovers’ manager Stephen Bradley celebrates after the game. Pic: INPHO/Ryan Byrne

Shamrock Rovers 2 Derry City 0 

A brace of goals, the second a terrific strike, from in-form Rory Gaffney heaped frustration on Derry City at Tallaght stadium as Shamrock Rovers edged ever closer to a fifth title in six years.

With 10 games now remaining, Stephen Bradley’s side are 10 points clear of second-placed Bohemians and 11 ahead of Derry who have now not beaten Rovers in 10 games stretching back to March 2023. A record-extending 22nd League of Ireland championship now all but Rovers’ to lose.

The big result was just the tonic Rovers would have wanted as they now travel to Kosovo to meet FC Ballkani in the first leg of their Conference League third round tie this week.

Rovers’ head coach Bradley rotated his squad once again with five changes from the 0-0 draw with St Joseph’s last Thursday.

And they enjoyed promising early possession here, troubling the Derry defence twice in quick succession nine minutes in.

First Gaffney did well to set up ex-Derry midfielder Aaron McEneff who should have done better than shoot over the top.

Seconds later, skipper Roberto Lopes’ route one ball over the top dropped for Gaffney who spun visiting captain Mark Connolly, cut across Alex Bannon to rifle narrowly wide.

Having survived, Derry, who gave a debut to new signing Jamie Stott in defence, responded to cut Rovers open a trifle too easily on 12 minutes. Sadou Diallo’s delightful chip in behind found the clever run of Michael Duffy whose shot beat Ed McGinty with Rovers relieved to see the ball come back off a post.

Duffy then skilfully ghosted between Rovers’ experienced defenders Lopes and Dan Clary on 28 minutes to shoot wide across goal.

And there was another scare for Rovers five minutes before the interval. Duffy again was involved, feeding impressive wingback Brandon Fleming who nipped past Lopes to get his shot away which required a frantic clearance a yard from goal by Lee Grace.

Second best in the first half, Rovers came out with added impetus for the restart and were ahead inside two minutes.

Danny Mandroiu flicked on Grace’s ball down the left for Josh Honohan who skipped away to cross and give Gaffney a simple tap-in.

In their groove now, Rovers were close to doubling their lead in the following minutes. Having come in for his debut at half-time, new loan signing Connor Malley shaved the crossbar. Then Honohan really should have scored but contrived to shoot wide dead in front of goal from Mandroiu’s cross.

Gaffney would make no such mistake on 65 minutes. Powering away down the right onto Dylan Watts’ ball, the veteran frontrunner cut inside Bannon before driving a shot past Brian Maher to the far corner of the net.

It marked the 35-year-old Tuam striker’s eighth league goal of the campaign and 10th in total for the season.

Derry’s bad night in Dublin 24 was compounded on 80 minutes when defender Bannon was dismissed for a foul on Honohan, his second yellow card.

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Cleary (O’Sullivan, 86), Lopes, Grace; Grant (McGovern, 74), McEneff (Malley, h-t), Watts, Healy, Honohan; Mandroiu (Matthews, 74); Gaffney (Noonan, 69).

Derry City: Maher; Bannon, Connolly, Stott; O’Reilly, Winchester, Diallo (R. Boyce, 85), Fleming; L. Boyce (Whyte, 63), Duffy (Doherty, 85); Akinyemi (Mullen, 63).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Dublin).

Attendance: 4,577