Shamrock Rovers 2
Galway United 0
Aaron Gallagher reports from Tallaght Stadium
SHAMROCK ROVERS SECURED a third win in four as goals from Gary Shaw and Brandon Miele proved the difference to bring Galway United’s resilient nine game unbeaten run to an end at Tallaght Stadium.
Stephen Bradley’s side were brought back down to earth last Friday following a Dublin derby victory against Bohemians 10 days ago, as a renewed Derry City proved a grade above to beat the Hoops 3-1 at Maginn Park.
The result extended the gap between the two European hopefuls to four points in fourth and fifth place respectively in the Premier Division table.
Galway boss Shane Keegan, meanwhile, had overseen a dramatic turnaround in fortunes at Eamonn Deacy Park over the course of April and May heading into Monday’s fixture.
Following a dismal run of no wins in their opening nine games this season, the Tribesmen proved resurgent as they defeated champions Dundalk at the beginning of an unbeaten run which extended from mid-April until Monday night.
In noting how tight the division was this year with three sides facing relegation, Keegan said in light of their last-minute victory against Dundalk that any side in the bottom half is capable of beating the teams in the top half.
His viewpoint did not hold true in this game, however, as after a sleepy opening half hour, Hoops striker Gary Shaw hooked an audacious effort curling into goalkeeper Conor Winn’s bottom corner following excellent work by Luke Byrne on the wing to give the hosts a deserved lead.
The visitors had held their own in Tallaght before conceding, with Conor Melody and Gavan Holohan proving constant thorns in the side of the Rovers backline with persistent pressure and inventive combinations along both wings.
Rovers, though, pushed on in the second half in order to build on their lead. Despite taking a worrying early knock, Graham Burke was a constant menace, with his shot from considerable distance early after the interval spinning just wide of the top corner.
Another Burke shot flew through the air after a quick counter attack as Galway struggled to keep tabs on the 23-year-old former Notts County attacker.
It was Brandon Miele, however, who put the final nail in the maroon coffin with a little over 20 minutes remaining. A Tomer Chencinski kick-out was skillfully knocked on by Burke which set the ball on a silver plate for Miele to strike a powerful left-footed volley beyond Winn.
With Bradley’s side now 2-0 ahead, a renewed sense of confidence was visible as the side swaggered to the beat of the home crowd and dominated their opposition in possession, style and goalscoring opportunities in the second half.
Chances from Gavan Holohan and Lee Grace showed signs of life for Galway despite the scoreline. But an array of efforts bombarding goalkeeper Winn in the final 15 minutes ensured a reassured finish for a Rovers side which stretched Galway’s defence to its limits in search of a third.
With siblings on both sides of this fixture on the night, former Dundalk starlet Daryl Horgan watched on from the stands as the Hoops cruised to victory, maintaining pressure on Derry City for a European place, while Galway remain above the drop zone.
Shamrock Rovers: Tomer Chencinski, Simon Madden, David Webster (Darren Meenan, 78), Daniel Devine (Sam Bone, 45), Luke Byrne, Ronan Finn (Ryan Connolly, 72), David McAllister, Trevor Clarke, Brandon Miele, Graham Burke, Gary Shaw.
Galway United: Conor Winn, Lee Grace, Stephen Folan, Paul Sinnott (Jesse Devers, 78), Gary Shanahan, Gavan Holohan (Aaron Conway, 87), Alex Byrne, Colm Horgan, Kevin Devaney, Conor Melody (Gary Kinneen, 92), Padraic Cunningham.
Referee: Derek Tomney
