St Pat’s keep Shamrock Rovers waiting for league title
There seems to be a great creative freedom in denying Shamrock Rovers a title-winning point.
St Pat’s, bruised from a shock 3-0 defeat to Cork City in the FAI Cup semi-final two weeks ago, looked weightless and unafraid at Richmond Park. Whether this performance was a reaction to that one, or motivated by a desire to deny their opponents, it was a reminder of the quality Stephen Kenny’s side has with the ball at their feet.
Barry Baggley was at the heart of it, manoeuvring neatly in tight spaces and stringing together poised, effective attacking phases. That was Baggley’s role in the match-winner, collecting a difficult ball near the halfway line and sensibly feeding Simon Power with his second touch.
Power had space to deliberate but quickly made up his mind, drifting inside and unleashing a floating drive into the top-right corner. Pat’s may have cursed their profligacy in a dominant first half had it not been for Power’s strike.
RM Block
“I feel he’s capable of that and capable of scoring more goals,” Kenny said post-match. “He’s had a good run in the team because he’s had an unfortunate injury past. He’s shown his quality tonight . . . He has absolutely electric pace and he’s very exciting when he gets the space to run into.”
This was, of course, still a very meaningful game for St Pat’s, who retain hopes of sneaking into Europe. They sit in sixth, but just one point off fourth-placed Bohemians, who they face on Monday night.
Derry City keep Hoops honest as Waterford drop into relegation playoff spot
Sometimes, Derry City don’t need to play very well to win games – they just need to find Michael Duffy in space.
After being outplayed for half an hour by Waterford and trailing to Tommy Lonergan’s opening goal, Duffy was given too much room down the right flank at the RSC. Ronan Mansfield was dragged out to meet him, but his challenge was weak and Duffy rode it with ease, squaring decisively for Gavin Whyte to equalise.
Loose marking is frustrating enough, but a misplaced pass from Kacper Radkowski 10 minutes later was egregious. This time it was Whyte teeing up Duffy, who finished brilliantly from the edge of the area. Derry boss Tiernan Lynch called his winger the best player in the league this week, even arguing he is deserving of an international call-up for the Republic of Ireland.
Whether individual honours or international selection await him, Duffy has at least mathematically extended a title race that most assumed would be over by now. The Candystripes have the opportunity to delay the seemingly inevitable by another week, as they welcome Rovers next Sunday.
Galway United find statement win in relegation fight
After going 11 games without a win, Galway United now have two on the bounce and a good chance of avoiding a precarious relegation playoff.
Having produced a brace against Cork City last time out, veteran striker Stephen Walsh completed a record-breaking 369th appearance for his club on Friday night as the Tribesmen produced the sort of gutsy performance made in his image.
Bohemians had started well and were unfortunate not to take the lead through a Rob Cornwall header. He was adjudged to have shoved Killian Brouder before meeting a looping ball at the back post.
The opener came against the run of play. Shuffling towards the corner flag, Bobby Burns managed to dig a cross into the near post. There to meet it was the stretched leg of Patrick Hickey, flicking the ball on and over goalkeeper Kacper Chorazka, perhaps helped by an attempted block from former Galway loanee Cian Byrne.
The home side never looked back. Disciplined and organised, they looked every bit a John Caulfield side after a difficult run. Drogheda United visit Eamonn Deacy Park next week.
For Bohs, a very impressive middle chunk of the season has evaporated. They have time to rally, but Monday night’s game against St Pat’s now carries a lot of weight.
Shelbourne comeback continues fine form
Joey O’Brien’s Shelbourne may be wishing the season could go on for another few weeks.
Having looked miles off the pace for much of the year, four league wins in a row have put the champions in a commanding position for a place in the top three. Shels had to show impressive resolve having fallen behind early on against Sligo Rovers at Tolka Park, with Cian Kavanagh prodding home Will Fitzgerald’s awkward cross.
Mipo Odubeko’s equaliser was excellent – quick on the trigger with a powerful drive from distance having engineered half a yard for himself. Sligo were stubborn thereafter, but an own goal from Will Fitzgerald and an injury-time strike from John Martin sealed the win.
A celebratory mood will only help Shels as they travel to North Macedonia for Conference League action on Thursday. Sligo, who have put together a fine second half of the season, will be hoping this is not a definitive setback.
Battle for Europe versus battle for safety
A common narrative played out across three of the five Premier Division fixtures on Friday, with sides in European contention lining up against those whose safety remains in the balance.
It played out well for neutrals. There are two clusters now either side of the league’s median points total. In the fight to avoid a relegation playoff, Galway United, Sligo Rovers and Waterford are now separated only on goal difference.
Assuming Shamrock Rovers do get the title over the line, five teams will scrap for the remaining European spots. If Rovers win the FAI Cup, the top four will qualify for various continental competitions. However, if Cork City beat Rovers in the cup final, they will claim passage to the Europa League qualifying stages despite being relegated, this ensuring only the top three Premier Division finishers qualify for Europe.
The Leesiders were in action on Friday, losing out narrowly away to fifth-place Drogheda United, who remain right in the mix. It could yet be a fitting end to a fine season for Drogs, after they cruelly missed out on European football earlier in the year due to a breach of multi-club ownership rules.
Hoops star Pico on top of the world
Coverage in the run-up to this week’s round of League of Ireland games was understandably dominated by Shamrock Rovers captain Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes.
Born in Crumlin, Lopes will represent the country of his father’s birth, Cape Verde, at next summer’s World Cup – most likely making him the only Irishman at the tournament. With a population of 500,000, Cape Verde is the second smallest country ever to qualify.
The latest chapter in the Lopes lineage arrived on Friday, as Pico’s son Diego was born. Though his manager Stephen Bradley made the decision to leave him out of the team, the new father still managed to catch the second half at Richmond Park.
“I just said to him get home and get some sleep before the baby comes home tomorrow,” Bradley said after Friday’s defeat to St Pat’s.
Bradley spoke about Lopes’s arrival at Rovers almost a decade ago, and his transformation from box-to-box midfielder into the league’s finest centre back. Much of that evolution is attributed to a humble attitude and work ethic.
As Bradley put it: “There’s a path for the late ones. The silver medallists. Very rare does the shining light at 14 or 15 [become] the shining light at 25. You get the exceptions – the Damiens, the Robbies – the special talents. But very rarely does that happen.”
The Rovers manager now has his own venture making headlines, as he is set to run the Dublin Marathon next Sunday morning in aid of children’s cancer charity Oscar’s Kids. It is a cause close to Bradley’s heart – his son Josh was declared cancer-free earlier this year after a three-year battle with leukaemia.
However, Sunday coincides with the Hoops’ latest chance to seal their fifth league title in six years. They travel to Derry for a 3pm kick-off, meaning Bradley and his assistant Glenn Cronin, who is also running the marathon, will have to take a 45-minute helicopter from Portmarnock as soon as the race finishes.
“I’m most nervous about getting in the helicopter,” Bradley said. “It was the only way it was possible. I can’t turn around to the board and say ‘we’re doing the marathon, we’re not going to a game’. That’s not going to happen.
“We’re going to hopefully get there just before kick-off and land straight in the middle of the pitch, just to delay it.”
