Saint Patrick’s Athletic 1
Shamrock Rovers 2
THIS WAS THE first weekend of repeated fixtures, and the one in which Rovers sent the firmest message yet that we will have a repeated champion.
Shamrock Rovers fell behind to the side closest to their coat-tails after just four minutes, but Graham Burke’s equaliser and Danny Mandroiu’s late, late winner sent Rovers five points clear at the summit.
A hectic, full-blooded game appeared to be dwindling to a draw until the second minute of stoppage time, when Danny Mandroiu pounced on a Lee Desmond clearance, gambolled clear into the penalty area, and finished beyond Pat’s keeper Jaros from a tight angle. The Rovers celebrations were jubilant, and a world away from the looks of dumbfounded surprise with which Chris Forrester left them after his fourth-minute opening goal.
Pat’s set up in a slightly surprising 4-4-2, with Forrester cutting in from the left. Within four minutes, he gave Pat’s the lead by doing precisely that, arriving into the box to volley in a deflected John Mountney cross.
Pat’s began was full throttle and minutes later an attack down the other flank saw Dylan Watts hack an Ian Bermingham cross off the line. Rovers, though, are much too canny to be overwhelmed, and played their way into the game, making particularly effective use of great arcing switches of play to left wing-back Liam Scales.
Though that pass was Rovers’ best jab, they had a few other punches in their arsenal. Gary O’Neill prised the Pat’s defence open with a terrific through ball for Rory Gaffney, who was denied one-on-one by goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros, on loan from Liverpool. Jaros, however, endured a shaky evening, later forced to deny Gaffney from close range having fumbled a pretty straightforward shot from distance.
Rovers played most of the first half in Pat’s half, and soon the pressure became too much to bear, as Graham Burke rifled home from 20 yards and beyond Jaros at his near post. In his celebration, Burke appeared to exchange a few words with Brian Kerr, stood on the terrace.
Burke was later booked, and he wasn’t alone: Pat’s manager Stephen O’Donnell and Rovers coach Glenn Cronin were also booked for verbals in a separate first-half contretemps.
Pat’s were improved in the second half, gaining a foothold without carving out many chances. Rovers’ cross-field switches remained effective, though, with one such ball for Ronan Finn ending with Gaffney forcing home the captain’s cross-cum-shot, only to be denied by the offside flag.
The second half was high on commitment and tension but low on inspiration: Danny Mandroiu saw a free-kick swerve ferociously before it was adroitly beaten away by Jaros. At the other end, Alan Mannus reacted well to deny Mattie Smith from close range.
Rovers were ultimately not to be denied, however, with Mandroiu’s tenacity and talent sealing the win that keeps the Rovers juggernaut rolling.
Saint Patrick’s Athletic: Vitezslav Jaros; John Mountney, Sam Bone, Lee Desmond, Ian Bermingham (captain) (Shane Griffin, HT); Billy King, Jamie Lennon, Alfie Lewis (Jason McLelland, 68′) (Ben McCormack, 78′), Chris Forrester; Ronan Coughlan, Mattie Smith
Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Joey O’Brien (Roberto Lopes, 49′), Sean Hoare, Lee Grace; Ronan Finn (captain) (Sean Gannon, 68′); Gary O’Neill, Dylan Watts; Liam Scales; Danny Mandroiu, Graham Burke; (Chris McNulty, 68′) Rory Gaffney (Dean Williams, 86′)