SHAMROCK ROVERS HANDED out a 4-0 beating to a much-changed Dundalk side at Oriel Park this evening with Jack Byrne on target twice.
It brought an end to Dundalk’s 26-game unbeaten home Premier Division run, which ran back to August 2018. But Filippo Giovagnoli made 10 changes to his side following their penalty shootout win over Moldovan champions Sheriff Tiraspol on Thursday night.
The only player retained was skipper Chris Shields who is suspended for Thursday’s Europa League play-off tie against KÍ Klaksvik at the Aviva Stadium.
Goals from Jack Byrne, David McMillan (OG) and Aaron McEneff (penalty) all arrived in an eight-minute spell before the break to put this game beyond the hosts.
Byrne grabbed his second for Stephen Bradley’s men four minutes from time to leave them eight points clear of Bohemians at the top of the table.
A brilliant Jack Byrne goal from a tight angle put the icing on the cake for @ShamrockRovers against Dundalk tonight @RTE2 #RTEsoccer pic.twitter.com/CV6S2HfuVp
— Soccer Republic (@SoccRepublic) September 27, 2020
Shamrock Rovers need eight points from their remaining five games to claim the league title for the first time since 2011.
Dundalk: Aaron McCarey; Andrew Quinn, Chris Shields, Andy Boyle, Cameron Dummigan; Joshua Gatt, Will Patching; Daniel Kelly, Jordan Flores, Nathan Oduwa; David McMillan.
Subs: John Mountney for Quinn (59), Stefan Colovic for McMillan (59), Jamie Wynne for Kelly (70), Val Adedokun for Patching (83).
Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Ronan Finn, Joey O’Brien, Liam Scales, Lee Grace, Neil Farrugia; Gary O’Neill, Jack Byrne, Aaron McEneff; Graham Burke; Aaron Greene.
Subs: Dylan Watts for Burke (76), Sean Kavanagh for Farrugia (82), Rhys Marshall for Finn (82), Dean Williams for Greene (86).
Referee: Rob Harvey.
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