Waterford hit by six when the Rovers reached the goal

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A comfortable home win over Waterford that featured six different scorers means Shamrock Rovers will take an eight-point lead in their last six games as they look to win their first league title since 2011.

While that’s not a foregone conclusion, it’s now the only focus on Stephen Bradley’s side. His FAI Cup quarter-finals against Finn Harps are scheduled for after the end of the league campaign and his European journey came to a respectable end last week at the hands of AC Milan.

Waterford came to Tallaght unchanged from the team that beat the Bohemians 2-0 in Dublin two weeks ago. Off the pitch, however, they were left without the personality of John Sheridan, who left as coach for Wigan’s challenge in England League One.

With first team coach Fran Rockett on the bench, the Blues came in hoping to score three wins over the Dublin teams in their last three games following the win over Bohs and St Patrick’s Athletic the previous week.

Instead, they left Dublin admiring the quality of potential designated champions and lamenting their own defensive mistakes when Aaron Greene, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace, Jack Byrne, Graham Burke and Dean Williams hit the net. Michael O’Connor pocketed a consolation for the visitors.

The game began with the opportunity for the Rovers to take the lead in the first three minutes.

Greene ran down the left flank on a long pass from Byrne, before crossing the ball to Aaron McEneff’s head in the box. The Derry native, however, was only able to find Brian Murphy’s chest in the Waterford goal.

The Rovers should have opened the scoring in five minutes.

Byrne was the creator again when his whipped cross found Greene’s feet, who shot Murphy. Oluwatunmise Sobowakle ran back to punt as he and Greene challenged for the bouncing ball.

A pinball moment in the area ended with the recovered Sobowakle hooking the ball from the line.

A quick start made the Hoops seem like a team used to the intensity that comes with playing against European giants, but unlike Thursday’s game against AC Milan, this time it was they who held the ball.

The game flirted with settling down for a spell before coming on again when Graham Burke was put in one-on-one by a deflected pass.

The team’s top scorer passed the ball around the running goalkeeper before somehow finding the side net. It was an inexplicable lack of the Irish international, who tonight celebrated his 27th birthday.

If the game until then belonged to the Rovers, from half an hour Waterford made its case, for at least ten minutes.

Ali Coote showed his quality to catch the ball and spread it through the channels. He took the first of a trio of shots from Waterford that sent the Hoops three back under pressure.

But the Rovers recovered the ball in the 40th minute and this time they made their visitors pay.

Waterford was playing in the back before a loose pass found Neil Farrugia of the Rovers, and his pass was anything but loose to Greene, who slammed the ball into the first post.

The Rovers quickly added two more for a 3-0 halftime lead.

First, Roberto Lopes shot higher to head home on a Byrne corner. Two minutes later, Waterford might have been concerned about stopping a Lopes replay, but this time it was Lee Grace’s turn to head home to Byrne’s corner and give the Hoops a healthy lead.

Lee Grace heads home at the third Shamrock Rovers

Byrne, the creator, became the top scorer minutes after the restart.

This time, his corner missed his target’s head before Ronan Finn found himself in possession of the opposite side. The Hoops captain threw a cross that crossed the goal, which Byrne hit low into the back of the net.

With a mountain to climb, Waterford looked to regain possession but was disappointed defensively when Farrugia’s dribble and pass down the right found Burke unmarked in the area. The forward finally scored his sixth league goal of the season with a shot to the corner.

Eight minutes later, Burke slipped while assisting in the right-back position, and was slow to get up when his teammates roared at him to get to his feet.

Meanwhile, Tyreke Wilson had gotten on the ball behind him and cut the ball off Michael O’Connor to score just inside the box.

As the Rovers pushed to extend their lead, the Blues fought back to restore some dignity to the scoreboard. Rhys Marshall was about to make six for the local team, but for the crossbar that deflected his shot badly.

Meanwhile, Waterford came close to having a back when Coote’s effort into the box rolled through the mouth of the goal in the 80th minute.

Ultimately though, it was six for Rovers in the 90th minute. Byrne, again the artist, charged from inside his own half past a handful of blue jerseys, sliding the ball up to Williams, who finished coldly through. Murphy’s legs.

Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Joey O’Brien (Liam Scales, 60), Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace; Aaron McEneff (Gary O’Neill, 60 years old); Neil Farrugia (Sean Kavanagh, 60), Ronan Finn (Rhys Marshall, 64), Dylan Watts; Jack Byrne; Graham Burke, Aaron Greene (Dean Williams, 64 years old).

Waterford: Brian Murphy; Oluwatunmise Sobowakle, Jake Davidson, Robbie McCourt, Tyreke Wilson; Alistair Coote, Robert Weir (Darragh Power, 85), John Martin; Michael O’Connor, Matthew Smith, Kurtis Byrne (William Fitzgerald, 65 years old).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin



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