Shamrock Rovers 4
Drogheda United 0
Paul Buttner reports from Tallaght Stadium
WAY BELOW their high standards in last Friday’s home draw with Galway United, Drogheda United felt the backlash from Shamrock Rovers who rediscovered their spark to record their biggest win of the season at Tallaght Stadium.
Goals late in the first half from Johnny Kenny and Aaron Greene finally gave substance to Rovers’ supremacy.
The impressive Darragh Burns and defender Josh Honohan added two more after the interval as the champions moved back second in the table, two points behind Shelbourne.
With three changes from that tame showing three days ago, Rovers were noticeably more energetic and sharper in their passing and intent here.
They pinned Drogheda in their own half from the off. Greene hit a post with Kenny shooting the rebound wide inside five minutes before Drogheda goalkeeper Jethren Barr made the first big save of the night, diving bravely at the feet of Kenny.
Barr was there again with a terrific save, denying Burns with his legs following a one-two with substitute Conan Noonan.
The overworked Drogheda defence was finally undone, not once, but twice, right at the end of the first half.
Kenny, as he did in salvaging a point on Friday, met Dylan Watts’ fifth corner of the night to outmuscle Luke Heeney and power a header to the net right on 45 minutes.
Scarcely 90 seconds later, a loose pass from Drogheda midfielder Oisin Gallagher gifted the ball to Burns. The winger’s delightful pass found the run of Greene who confidently slid home his seventh goal of the season.
Greene was involved as Rovers effectively sealed the points eight minutes into the second half.
The veteran striker fed Kenny to help the ball onto Burns who skipped past Conor Kane to rifle a rising shot off his weaker right foot to the roof of the net.
Barr kept the score down with another superb save to push away a Honohan header on the hour while, minutes later, Kenny bounced a header off the beleaguered Drogheda crossbar.
A harsh straight red card was shown to Drogheda defender Jack Keaney on 71 minutes, even though replays appeared to show no contact with Kenny as the striker went to ground in a run on goal.
Defender Honohan added Rovers’ fourth goal three minutes later when heading home a Conan Noonan corner.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary (J. O’Sullivan, 75), Lopes, Honohan; Watts (C. O’Sullivan, 68), Towell (Noonan, 34); Burns (Kovalevskis, 68), Nugent, Clarke (Barrett, 68); Kenny, Greene.
Drogheda United: Barr; Heeney (Webster, 68), Keaney, Cann, Kane; Deegan, Gallagher (Cailloce, 60); McNally (Foley, 54), Markey, Davis (Bawa, 54); Pierrot (Brennan, 60).
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Clare).
Attendance: 3,847.