Soccer

Richie Towell double earns Shamrock Rovers a sixth straight win

St Patrick’s Athletic came to play in Tallaght and made it a cracking contest

Shamrock Rovers' Richie Towell celebrates scoring a goal with Ronan Finn during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against St Patrick's Athletic at Tallaght Stadium. Photograph: Evan Treacy/Inpho
Shamrock Rovers' Richie Towell celebrates scoring a goal with Ronan Finn during the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division match against St Patrick's Athletic at Tallaght Stadium. Photograph: Evan Treacy/Inpho
Paul Buttner at Tallaght Stadium
Mon May 15 2023 - 22:31

Shamrock Rovers 3 St Patrick’s Athletic 2

Richie Towell scored a second-half double to keep Shamrock Rovers on a roll at the top of Premier Division table.

Stephen Bradley’s champions made it six straight wins in stretching their unbeaten run to 13 matches and stay two points clear of Derry City at the top of the table.

St Patrick’s, who very much came to play, remain without a win in Tallaght since 2016.

[ Premier Division table ]

Though Rovers started on the front foot, it was St Patrick’s who had the first real sight of goal on 19 minutes when the tenacious Jamie Lennon won the ball for skipper Chris Forrester to set up Jay McClelland, but his shot was brilliantly blocked by the retreating Roberto Lopes.

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That signalled an encouraging spell for the visitors who forced three corners before their high press paid off on 28 minutes.

In trying to play out from the back, Graham Burke was dispossessed by a clutch of St Patrick’s players.

Lennon and Forrester combined to feed the ball to Mark Doyle whose shot deflected off Lopes to go in off a post.

All St Patrick’s good work was undone, though, when they needlessly conceded an equaliser in the third minute of added time at the end of the half.

In trying to shepherd the ball out over the end line, 17-year-old Sam Curtis had it harried off him by Neil Farrugia who set up Burke, whose shot was tipped over the top by Dean Lyness.

The marking was then suspect from Jack Byrne’s sixth corner of the game, allowing Lee Grace to head home.

Rovers upped the tempo in the second half to get their deserved lead on 67 minutes in a move begun and finished by Towell.

Burke swept the ball out right for Ronan Finn who clipped it back to the far post where Towell arrived to score with a diving header.

Serge Atakayi should have brought St Patrick’s back on terms but poked wide after Farrugia’s back pass fell short.

But in a dramatic finale the visitors did level on 84 minutes, Ben McCormack sweeping home after Leon Pohls clumsily pushed out a drive from Curtis.

But it didn’t end there as Rovers won it in the 89th minute. A Towell shot was initially parried out by Lyness with Tom Grivosti pulling down Johnny Kenny.

And though Byrne drilled home the loose ball, referee Damien MacGraith had already blown for the penalty.

Towell delighted in rifling his spot kick low into the corner to gleefully celebrate in front of the St Patrick’s fans.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Pohls; Cleary, Lopes, Grace; Finn (Kavanagh, 79), O’Neill, Towell, Farrugia; Byrne; Burke (Poom, 79), Gaffney (Kenny, 79).

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Lyness; Curtis, Grivosti, McGarth (Lonergan, 90+1), Breslin; Lennon, Murphy (McCormack, 73); McClelland (Atakayi, 65), Forrester, M. Doyle (Mulraney, 65); E. Doyle (Carty, 73).

Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).

Attendance: 6,212.