Super-sub John McGovern sends Shamrock Rovers top with double against Waterford
John McGovern of Shamrock Rovers scores his side's third goal during the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division match between Shamrock Rovers and Waterford at Tallaght Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile
Substitute John McGovern scored a double inside five minutes as Shamrock Rovers twice came from behind to get back to winning ways in this rollercoaster clash at Tallaght Stadium.
The champions were the last side a resurgent Waterford lost to back in mid-June and Blues’ 13-match unbeaten run came to an end here.
Victory, their first in four league games, restored Rovers place at the summit, for 24 hours at least. But they were made to work extremely hard for the three points.
In-form Blues, unchanged for the fourth successive match, brought the confidence of that consistency to Dublin 24, ex-Hoop Conan Noonan having a volley charged down following Benny Couto’s first corner of the game.
Rovers soon began to dominate the ball, though, an sweeping move coming to nothing with Will Fitzgerald’s drive blocked.
But it was Waterford who produced the first shot on target on 20 minutes, Evan McLaughlin working a comfortable save from Ed McGinty; Matt Healy promptly doing likewise at the other end as the game flowed from end to end.
McGinty had to be there again with the save of the first half to prevent Waterford taking the lead five minutes later.
Goalkeeper Stephen McMullan’s clearance was cleverly nodded on by skipper Padraig Amond for strike partner Tommy Lonergan whose low drive McGinty pushed round a post.
Rovers responded with two gilt-edged chances. First, Jack Byrne slipped resulting in him skying over the top after good approach work from Adam Brennan and Aaron Greene. Burke then drilled wide across goal after Dylan Watts slipped him in behind.
Their best little spell of the half having come to nothing, Rovers found themselves behind on 35 minutes.
Lonergan’s hoofed ball in from the right dropped for Couto who laid it off first time for McLaughlin. The Derry native took a touch before rifling to the roof of the net for a fine finish.
A terrific tackle from John Mahon denied Greene a shooting chance at the other end before Rovers avoided falling further behind right on half-time, Couto’s corner dropping for Amond whose shot was blocked by Greene.
With added impetus to their play, Rovers chased the game from the restart.
And they should have been level 11 minutes in, McMullan making a terrific save from a Watts header.
From the resulting corner the equaliser did arrive. Byrne’s delivery wasn’t fully cleared. Brennan lobbed it back in where skipper Roberto Lopes helped it on for Greene to hook the ball to the net.
Having worked so hard to get themselves level, Rovers conceded another poor goal within a minute.
Noah Mawene’s low cross wasn’t cut out. Lonergan laid it back for Couto who got it onto this right foot to score from the edge of the area.
Hoops’ head coach Stephen Bradley looked to his bench for inspiration with two double substitutions which swung the game Rovers' way.
They were level on 73 minutes. Watts and one of those changes, Jake Mulraney, worked the ball to Burke on the left and his cross was turned home by another replacement McGovern.
Two minutes later, Mulraney powered past Hayden Cann down the left to cross for McGovern to volley home from close range for what would prove the winner.
The action was maintained to the finish with Cann seeing a header come back off the Rovers crossbar before McGinty produced an amazing save to thwart Lonergan’s follow-up as Waterford were denied what would have been a deserved share of the spoils.
McGinty; Cleary (C. O’Sullivan, 87), Lopes, Grace; Fitzgerald (McGovern, 61), Watts, Byrne (Razi, 67), Healy, Brennan (Mulraney, 67); Burke; Greene (Sobowale, 61).
McMullan; Cann, Mahon, Long, Couto; Voilås (Houston, 76), Mawene (Heaney, 76), McLaughlin (Glenfield, 64), Noonan (Faria, 78); Amond, Lonergan.
Aaron O’Dowd (Dublin).
5,823.
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