‘Still In It’ – Shamrock Rovers Boss On Title Ambitions After Heavy Defeat

Shamrock Rovers suffered their heaviest league defeat of the season on Friday night, as they were beaten 3-0 by a rampant St Patrick’s Athletic at Tallaght Stadium.

The defeat dealt a blow to Rovers’ hopes of closing the gap at the top of the table in the race for the Premier Division title. However, manager Stephen Bradley still feels his side are in the title race, despite yet another defeat against St Pats.

St Pat’s got off to a dream start, taking the lead after just 42 seconds when Joe Redmond outfoxed Josh Honohan to nod in Jake Mulraney’s corner at the back post. The Saints didn’t let up, and by the 12th minute, they had doubled their advantage. A swift counter-attack saw Mason Melia spin past Roberto Lopes and pick out Zach Elbouzedi, whose cross was met by Mulraney. Though Lee Grace blocked the initial shot, Mulraney coolly curled the rebound into the top corner.

Shamrock Rovers struggled to find their rhythm despite dominating possession, managing only a few notable efforts on goal. Graham Burke tested St Pat’s keeper Joseph Anang just before half-time, but his shot was tipped over the bar. In the second half, Rovers continued to push forward but found themselves repeatedly frustrated by the Saints’ disciplined defence and Anang’s sharp goalkeeping.

St Pat’s sealed the game in the 59th minute when Mulraney completed his brace, skipping past Grace before calmly slotting the ball past Leon Pohls to make it 3-0. Despite efforts from Burke and Adam Forshaw, Rovers could not find a way back into the game. The loss prevented them from capitalising on dropped points from Shelbourne and Derry City, leaving the title race finely poised with just four games remaining.

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley acknowledged that his side was second best on the night but insisted the title race is far from over.

“It’s amazing really, you get beat 3-0 and you’re still in it (title race), that’s just the way it seems to be this year,” said Bradley. “Shels have gained a point, but it’s still all to play for. I said last week that this final bit is crazy. This is going to go right to the wire, I’m sure it will.”

Bradley admitted that his side looked fatigued after a demanding schedule but maintained that their performances in recent weeks have been strong. “Our performances have been really good. We just looked off it, we looked tired (against St Pat’s). It’s not a crisis in terms of ‘we haven’t been performing’. We have been performing really well, it’s just that on Friday we didn’t. We came up against a fresh team that took advantage of it.”

He added, “St Pat’s scored in the first minute and that probably set the tone for the game. They had momentum after that, scored again not long after, and were in control. We were second best all night, and St Pat’s fully deserved it.”

Despite the setback, Bradley remained optimistic, noting that Rovers are still just five points off the top with four games to play. “The whole performance was not like us tonight, but to be fair to the players, they have had a heavy schedule. It looked like Pat’s were fresh, and we looked the opposite.”

Site Opinion

Shamrock Rovers’ defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic exposes some concerning signs of fatigue in the squad at a critical time in the season. With their congested schedule taking a toll on performances, Bradley’s side will need to recover quickly to stay in contention for the title. The fact that they remain within striking distance, despite the heavy loss, shows how unpredictable the title race has been this year.

However, Rovers can’t afford many more slip-ups with just four games remaining. With their next league match against top-of-the-table Shelbourne, Bradley’s side must bounce back with a strong performance if they want to keep their hopes of retaining the title alive.