Graham Burke's stunner sends champions Shamrock Rovers six points clear at the top
STUNNER: Shamrock Rovers' Graham Burke scores the winner. Pic: ©INPHO/Tom Maher
May is the month most leagues across Europe conclude but even in the Irish summer format with 16 games left Shamrock Rovers already look in a different league.
Six points is the buffer they hold over new second placed side Bohemians but their victims St Patrick’s Athletic can’t complain with being two further points adrift.
Outside of a potential calamitous stoppage time own-goal by Corkman Matt Healy – set to join the Ireland squad for Saturday’s flight to Canada – Rovers were seldom in danger of winning their second game in four days before a raucous crowd of 8,661.
Those back-to-back defeats to Dundalk and Sligo Rovers in the middle of month seem a distant memory for Stephen Bradley’s side, firmly in control of sealing their sixth title in seven seasons.
For the team news, the focus was on the goalkeepers.
Ed McGinty’s call-up to the Irish squad looked set to deprive Rovers of their stopper for two games but despite being on the bench in Thursday’s 1-0 win over Qatar, he was released from camp to fulfil club duties.
Similarly, Joseph’s Anang’s commitments with World Cup-bound Ghana indicated his unavailability but because he’s awaiting the preliminary squad being cut to the final version, and it's outside of the Fifa window, no obstacle existed.
Anang was certainly the busier of the duo, with Pat’s failing to test McGinty until almost the hour mark was reached.
For the improvements they’ve made on last year’s woeful campaign that saw them miss out on European qualification, this season’s upturn hasn’t included a serious scalp.
Rovers were convincing victors over the Saints in both previous meetings and the pattern continued in a first half of dominance.
Much of the clamour for international recognition has centred on the younger crop of Hoops players such as Adam Brennan, Michael Noonan and Matt Healy but their former Ireland players Jack Byrne, Graham Burke and Enda Stevens displayed durability into their thirties by leading with commanding vigour.
Both Byrne and Burke made way with 16 minutes left to warm acclaim, content with their night’s work.
After Byrne slaying Pat’s last time out at Inchicore, it was the turn of Burke to become Stephen Kenny’s tormentor.
Burke passed the 100 Rovers goal threshold last month and boosted it to his 104th with a sumptuous strike to deflate their visitors within nine minutes.
Everybody in the land is aware of Burke’s precision from distance, heightening the regret Pat’s will linger on at leaving the 32-year-old unmarked 20 yards out.
A half-cleared free-kick fell at the feet of Dylan Watts, who spotted Burke unattended in a central area. One touch to control and another to unleash a classic rising curler was sufficient for Anang to be beaten and the top corner of the net rippled.
With the burly Ryan Edmondson leading the Saints’ forward line, they depended on Kian Leavy to supply the invention to penetrate. Byrne blamed Stevens for a hospital pass that resulted in him scything down Leavy for a booking on the half hour before Healy followed three minutes later for felling Edmondson.
Still, the visitors lacked punch in the final third. It took a slick counter from John McGovern being dispossessed on 40 minutes to engineer their best chance. When Romal Palmer slipped Leavy in, McGinty was poised to save but across came a sliding challenge by Lee Grace to block the low shot.
That offered Pat’s some hope and they advanced their defenders into advanced positions after the break. James Browne saw his piledriver whistle past the near post before captain Joe Redmond, up from centre-back, finally warmed the gloves of McGinty with a long-range shot which he stooped low to repel.
Zack Elbouzedi’s teasing cross on 65 minutes carried too much pace for Luke Turner to connect with before former Hoop Sean Hoare did the opposite. His finish from Browne’s right-wing cross was applied after he’d strayed into an offside position.
Noonan, on for McGovern, should have killed the contest off with three minutes left when he slalomed into the box. Pat’s were relieved that his shot deflected wide, but it was cold comfort on a sultry night that red-hot form by Rovers left the rest of the ships taking on water.
E McGinty; T Sobowale, L Grace, E Stevens; J Mulraney (M Kovalevskis 68), M Healy, D Watts (C Malley 74), C O’Sullivan; J Byrne (J O’Sullivan 74), G Burke (M Noonan 74); J McGovern (A Greene 64).
J Anang; J Browne (G Nzingo 84), J Redmond, S Hoare, L Turner (A Breslin 77); J Lennon, B Baggley (A Keena 63); K Leavy, R Palmer (D Nugent 77), Z Elbouzedi; R Edmondson (M Mata 77).
Rob Hennessy.
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