League of Ireland: St Patrick’s Athletic 1 (Power 37) Shamrock Rovers 0
No title celebrations for Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park as Simon Power’s superb first-half strike silenced the 498 visiting fans among a crammed-in 4,466 attendance.
Rovers only need a point to capture a fifth League of Ireland crown in six seasons but they have now drawn a blank in successive Dublin derbies.
The title race can be resuscitated at the Brandywell next Friday if Derry City beat the Hoops.
“Shamrock Rovers have found a level of consistency other clubs struggled to match,” wrote St Pat’s manager Stephen Kenny in his programme notes.
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Kenny was on the money. St Pat’s have been a model of inconsistency; superb in Europe yet so far off their own standards in the league that they will fall short of last year’s 59-point total.
That was enough to finish third. Currently, they lie sixth on 49 points with three matches remaining.
The result of Monday’s trip across town to face fourth-place Bohemians at Dalymount should define both clubs’ seasons.
On this night, however, Rovers were a model of flatness.
Maybe it was the absence of Pico Lopes, the rock at the heart of their defence, who earlier this week helped his father’s country Cape Verde qualify for the World Cup before he became a father himself on Friday afternoon, as the champions-elect struggled for a foothold in this tetchy affair.
Or maybe it was St Pat’s desperation to finish the season in a European spot following their shock FAI Cup semi-final loss to Cork City.
“The FAI Cup final is a special occasion,” said Kenny. “We are not there and we have to live with that.”
It is easier to live with missing out on the Cup final against Rovers at the Aviva Stadium on November 9th by denying Stephen Bradley’s men celebrating another title in Inchicore, having already suffered that fate in 2024.
Kian Leavy refused to hand the league to Rovers. Socks down, picking up balls and running at the Rovers defence, the former Ireland under-21 winger was a constant nuisance, blazing an early shot over the crossbar before Joe Redmond spurned two chances to head the home side in front.
There was plenty of bite in the tackle, with Mason Melia earning a yellow card after the ball got away from his toe and he stood on Cory O’Sullivan. Rovers also saw yellows when Sean Kavanagh was booked for fouling Barry Baggley and Matt Healy upended Redmond as the big centre-half strode over halfway.
Power, the former Rovers winger, scored his goal in the 37th minute. Superb all season, his strike into the top corner of Ed McGinty’s net reflected St Pat’s dominance.
Over to Derry City’s match away to Waterford where Tiernan Lynch’s side needed a win to keep the title race afloat for another week. Anything less and Rovers were uncatchable.
Waterford took the lead through Tommy Lonergan before Gavin Whyte equalised and Michael Duffy enhanced his candidacy for Player of the Year with his 11th league goal.
Both Leavy and Melia had chances to nail down the three points but McGinty got a leg to the Leavy’s shot before the Spurs-bound teenager put the rebound into the River Camac.
Rovers were flat without Lopes and the benched Rory Gaffney. That is not a criticism of their teenage striker Michael Noonan, who was a constant threat while living off scraps. One chance, from a through ball by Danny Mandroiu, was gobbled up by St Pat’s goalkeeper Joseph Anang before Noonan could shoot.
Something had to give. Bradley made his move, introducing Gaffney, Connor Malley and Lee Grace in a triple substitution on 65 minutes.
Gaffney’s presence was felt immediately as the veteran muscled Redmond off a ball.
Seconds later, the 35-year-old hared down the channel, keeping possession ahead of Tom Grivosti in an impossible position to score or even create a chance. Again, Gaffney showed his team-mates what needed to be done.
Somehow, he won a corner. Somehow, moments later, he headed O’Sullivan’s excellent cross straight at Anang.
Gaffney did everything but score. Anang matched his next shot with a fine save as St Pat’s clung on.
Melia almost burst clear down the other end with Adam Matthews only avoiding a straight red card because his body check on the teenager was inside St Pat’s territory.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Anang; Sjoberg, Redmond, Grivosti, Kazeem (McClelland 81); Forrester (Robinson 81), Lennon, Baggley; Leavy (Garrick 87), Melia (Carty 94), Power (McLaughlin 94).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty; Cleary, Matthews (McGovern 82), O’Sullivan; Nugent (McEneff 90), Watts, Healy (Malley 65), Mandroiu, Kavanagh (Grace 65); Burke; Noonan (Gaffney 65).
Referee: Neil Doyle.
