1. Sligo slip up
AS TITLE CONTENDERS Sligo prepared to visit Inchicore on Saturday, there was feverish speculation that Pete Mahon might prefer to rest a few key players rather than run the risk of inadvertently doing cross-city rivals Shamrock Rovers a favour.
Mahon put pay to that theory by naming Stephen Bradley, Dave Mulcahy and Daryl Kavanagh in his starting line-up and St Pat’s went on shake up the title race with a shock 1-0 win over the Bit O’Red.
Conor Kenna, linked with Shamrock Rovers on a number of occasions in the past, improved his stock among those in green and white when he headed home Stephen Bradley’s 67th-minute free against the run of play. That was the cue for a backs to the wall performance as Sligo peppered the hosts’ goal in vain, hitting both post and crossbar in the dying moments.
2. Rovers scrape by
Shamrock Rovers don’t have too many fond memories from their recent trips to the seaside and, but for Karl Sheppard’s winner a minute from time, Bray could have severely dented the Hoops’ title ambitions yesterday.
Despite dominating the first half, Rovers only had Sheppard’s 7th-minute opener to show and were made to pay when Gary Dempsey’s speculative free-kick evaded everybody and ended up in the back of Richard Brush’s net. Frustration mounted on the pitch and in the stands as Rovers toiled in the final quarter without creating many clear-cut opportunities, only for Sheppard to spare their blushes at the death.
In the final reckoning, yesterday’s win could be worth a lot more than the three points gained.
3. Thursday night lights
Derry got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win over Dundalk in Oriel Park on Saturday afternoon and now lie five points behind Shamrock Rovers having played a game less.
And so the stage is set for a mouthwatering encounter in Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night. Stephen Kenny’s men know that a win on Thursday would wrestle control of the title race out of Rovers’ hands and into their own.
Derry have won one and drawn two against Rovers already this season; they’ll be confident that they can overcome their iffy form of late and blow the title race apart. Again.
4. All things must pass
With three wins on the bounce, UCD established some daylight between themselves and Drogheda in recent weeks but their unexpected purple patch came to a swift end in Dalymount on Saturday night.
Goals from Christy Fagan and Keith Buckley gave Bohs a comfortable 2-0 win over the students and Pat Fenlon will now have one eye on catching Pat’s in fourth over the next few weeks.
5. Shels shocked
A few weeks ago, Shels appeared to have to the First Division title nicely sewn up. Now, Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Waterford means that the Drumcondra club can’t even be certain that they’ll finish in the automatic promotion spots.
All three of the promotion contenders have tricky tests still to come — Monaghan have to welcome Limerick to Gortakeegan, while current table-toppers Cork travel to Tolka Park on the final day of the season. It’s a brave person who would hazard a guess at how it will all pan out.
Results
Airtricity League Premier Division
- Dundalk 0-2 Derry City
- Bohemians 2-0 UCD
- St Patrick’s Athletic 1-0 Sligo Rovers
- Galway United 1-2 Drogheda United
- Bray Wanderers 1-2 Shamrock Rovers
Airtricity League First Division
- Salthill Devon 0-4 Cork City
- Waterford United 1-0 Shelbourne
- Athlone Town 4-1 Mervue United
- Finn Harps 1-2 Longford Town
- Monaghan United 2-0 Wexford Youths
