Drogheda United 0
Shamrock Rovers 1
Dave Donnelly reports from Head In The Game Park
AARON GREENE’S GOAL early in the second half saw Shamrock Rovers restore their three-point lead at the top of the Premier Division.
The striker tapped in to polish off a slick, sustained period of passing as the Hoops recorded their eighth win in the bounce in all competitions.
Drogs were the last side to take points domestically from Rovers when they earned a deserved 1-1 draw at Tallaght Stadium in late June.
Rovers have been on a hot run of form since, with just a Champions League defeat in Bratislava in the negative column, but they had to grind this one out as the home side applied some late pressure.
Drogheda boss Tim Clancy, who was suspended for the game, put out a defensively-minded side with five across the back and forwards Mark Doyle and Darragh Markey dropping to the bench.
Stephen Bradley made six changes to the side that beat Teuta 2-0 in Albania on Thursday, with Chris McCann, Greene and Graham Burke among those to return.
Burke would wage a one-man war with Drogs keeper David Odumosu in the first half, forcing the youngster into a number of fine saves.
The first came inside three minutes as Odumosu touched a daisy-cutter onto the post, while Greene narrowly missed the top corner with a well-struck effort just after.
Odumosu beat another long-ranger away from Richie Towell, before throwing his weight behind a furiously-struck Burke volley from a rehearsed corner routine.
The keeper, a target for Watford, pulled off another fine save to deny Burke from distance two minutes before half time, and the Boynesiders went in at the break having limited the visitors to efforts from range.
Rovers upped the ante in the second half and made the breakthrough within 10 minutes as a flowing move from front to back finally cracked the Drogheda defence and Burke crossed for Greene to tap in.
Drogheda introduced attackers Doyle, Markey and Dinny Corcoran as they chased the game, Doyle volleying over and Jake Hyland seeing a close-range header saved by the underworked Alan Mannus.
It was Rovers who finished on the front foot, though, with Greene curling just wide late on as the Hoops moved clear at the top once more.
Drogheda United: David Odumosu; Joe Redmond (Ronan Murray 64), Daniel O’Reilly, Dane Massey (Dinny Corcoran 80); James Brown, Killian Phillips, Gary Deegan (Luke Heeney 80), Jake Hyland, Conor Lane; James Clarke (Darragh Markey 56), Jordan Adeyemo (Mark Doyle 56).
Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Sean Hoare, Roberto Lopes, Liam Scales; Sean Gannon, Richie Towell (Gary O’Neill 77), Chris McCann, Sean Kavanagh; Graham Burke (Dylan Watts 68), Danny Mandroiu (Rory Gaffney 69), Aaron Greene.
Referee: Ray Matthews.