Shamrock Rovers 2 Galway United 0
If Derry dented the recent Rovers revival at the weekend then Galway’s record of late against the league’s better sides suggested they might just plunge Stephen Bradley’s side back into reverse.
Instead, the Dubliners produced further evidence of finding their feet with Gary Shaw’s fine first half goal paving the way to a solid if unspectacular win.
Against both Dundalk and Cork, Shane Keegan's side had suffered setbacks but bounced back, scoring the game's last goal on each occasion to secure a win then a draw.
Here, the same sort of solid looking, defend in numbers, break at speed, game plan served them well until Shaw’s breakthrough.
After it, though, they looked lost for a prolonged spell during which the home side might well have had another couple. Defensively, they looked entirely at sea with a back three that had previously frustrated the hosts with the quality of their passing under pressure, suddenly looking lost.
Graham Burke, who was again given a fairly free hand here and rewarded his manager with another energetic display, went close to scoring within minutes of the second half getting started.
Shaw headed one of the midfielder's angled crosses just over after leaving Gary Shanahan rooted firmly to the spot.
There were other opportunities but Brandon Miele eventually made it 2-0 after holding off Lee Grace then powering a left footed shot beyond Conor Winn.
Conceding the second left United with no option but to try to get back on the front foot and there might, it seemed, have been some hope for them when Kevin Devaney made a bit of space for himself 25 yards out then tested Tomer Chencinski with a fierce looking strike that the 'keeper helped over.
More than once this season, Bradley’s side has struggled to see out games and the manager must have been just a little concerned when, following the corner, United managed a brief period of pressure and Grace had an attempt on goal too. But the threat receded quickly enough on this occasion and Rovers came close to grabbing a third when Miele clipped the outside of the post.
It was scarcely the stuff of champions, but against opponents who had been beaten just once in their previous 13 outings, it was solid stuff from a side that look to be delivering some of the progress their manager had promised in pre-season.
Next up, though, is Cork City and a manager who would enjoy clipping their wings again.
The challenges keep coming for a side whose ambition didn’t quite match its ability over the first third of the season. With each passing week, though, they look a little better equipped to cope.
Shamrock Rovers: Chencinski; Madden, Devine (Bone, half-time), Webster (Meenan, 78 mins), Byrne; Finn (Connolly, 72 mins), McAllister; Clarke, Burke, Miele; Shaw.
Galway United: Winn; Sinnott (Devers, 78 mins), Folan, Grace; Shanahan, Holohan (Conway, 87 mins), Byrne, Horgan; Melody (Kinneen 90 mins), Devaney; Cunningham.
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).
