Shamrock Rovers 4
UCD 0
Darryl Geraghty reports from Tallaght Stadium
SHAMROCK ROVERS GO into the summer break top of the table six points clear following a routine win at home to a struggling and much depleted UCD side.
An early Harvey O’Brien own goal, followed by a pair of Jack Byrne and Graham Burke close range finishes ensured Stephen Bradleys men made it three wins from three against The Students, before Kieran Cruise added a fourth in the second half as the green and white juggernaut showed no sign of slowing in their crusade for four-in-a-row.
It was a professional performance on a comfortable night in front of a crowd of 5,782 as the Hoops overcame a relegation-threatened UCD side who, disappointingly, could name just five substitutes on the bench
And it took just 15 minutes for the waves of relentless Rovers pressure to pay off.
Man-of-the-match Neil Farrugia burst down the right wing before drilling a low cross towards the in-form Aaron Greene, who failed to connect properly with his shot, eventually seeing the ball rebound off the helpless Harvey O’Brien and into his own goal.
Ten minutes later Rovers doubled their lead in a carbon copy to the first. This time Graham Burke flew down the left hand side before hammering a low cross across goal, and although Jack Keaney did his best to cut out the ball, could only tee it up for Jack Byrne to poke home.
Graham Burke put the game beyond any doubt when he added his name to the scoresheet just before the break. Again it was Farrugia causing chaos down the right side, eventually putting it on a plate for Burke to bundle home.
The Hoops boss rang the changes at half time, safe in the knowledge thegame was done and rested his senior player with the likes of Jack Byrne, skipper Roberto Lopes and Markus Poom having an early bath, giving minutes to exciting academy graduates Kieran Cruise and Conan Noonan.
And ten minutes after his introduction, Cruise notched his first senior goal for the club right in front of a jubilant South Stand., The youngster showed the coolest head in Tallaght to collect Graham Burke’s deflated free kick and slot home past the onrushing Kian Moore to make it a dream night for the youngster and put the icing on the cake of a fine performance.
Following the summer break, the Champions make the trip to Dalymount in a mouthwatering tie, whilst on the same night The refreshed Students welcome Sligo Rover to the UCD Bowl hoping to chip away at the gap to those just ahead of them in the table.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls, Farrugia, Hoare, Lopes (Noonan, 45), Grace, Kavanagh, Poom (Nugent, 45), O’Neill, Byrne (Cruise, 45), Burke (Burt, 61), Greene (Gaffney, 35’)
UCD: Moore, Babb, O’Brien (Bowden, 78), Wells, Gallagher, Osam, Nolan, Keaney, Barr (Donoghue, 87), Norris (Kinsella-Bishop, 59), Doyle
Referee: David Dunne