Shamrock Rovers

Graham Burke scores two penalties as Stephen Bradley's side open up eight-point lead at the top.

The Hoops cup spilled over in the next few seconds as word filtered down that Jack Moylan had put Shels ahead before Alan Mannus saved a poor penalty from St Pat’s sub Tunde Owolabi. St Pat’s struggled without suspended manager Tim Clancy in the dug out as Bradley made a decisive call five minutes into the second half, replacing Byrne with Dylan Watts. Cleary almost sliced a Mark Doyle cross into his own net before scoring up the other end in first-half injury-time. At least Burke and Chris Forrester appear to be going nowhere. Replays confirmed that Burke was fouled in the box by Ireland under-21 centre half Joe Redmond with 34 minutes played. On this evidence Curtis won’t be long for the League of Ireland either.

Graham Burke equalised from the penalty spot before Daniel Cleary put the Hoops ahead in the dying moments of the first-half. Sean Hoare stretched that lead ...

News of Shels’ goal in Derry ripped through the ground like an electric surge and heightened the giddiness only for St Pat’s to win a penalty at precisely the same time. It was enough to unsettle the Saints ace and Cleary couldn’t believe his luck when getting a second chance - this time drilling through Rogers’ legs in a crowded box. Joe Redmond clipped Burke with a clumsy challenge in the box when latching onto a Lyons ball and Burke equalised from the spot. The ball just wouldn’t fall their way - but then Rovers upped the ante and cashed in by transforming their possession for something far more tangible. But in a game where the entertainment levels were off the charts, the Rovers response was both impressive and relentless and had the fans singing about ‘that’s why we’re champions’ The Hoops came alive at a rocking Tallaght Stadium and launched a remarkable comeback to fillet one of the league’s form sides in ruthless and brutal fashion.

When St Patrick's Athletic took the lead inside five minutes at Tallaght Stadium, the feelings of anxiety in the stands were palpable.

Another cross to the far post was treated casually and Atakayi ghosted into space again but, on this occasion, he blasted high into the construction works in the North Stand behind the goal. Rovers regrouped and extended their advantage before the hour mark with another dead ball exposing indecision in the Saints rearguard and Seán Hoare capitalising after McCann and Lopes were denied. The Saints started well, despite switching to a back four due to enforced absences with Paddy Barrett in for a first league start of the season. Redmond protested, but it was easy to see the ref’s logic on this occasion and Burke slotted home. Manager Tim Clancy watched from the stands as he is serving a touchline ban and he might have struggled to rein in his emotions if he was in his usual station. A fine first-time cross from 16-year-old visiting right full Sam Curtis caught the Hoops rearguard out with Serge Atakayi slipping in at the far post to convert.

SHAMROCK ROVERS - 4. ST. PATRICK'S ATHLETIC - 1. WHEN put on the spot, Shamrock Rovers had the answers. Roberto Lopes celebrates after his side's victory at ...

Hoops fans will watch Sligo Rovers on Monday hoping it is the case. When Burke rifled home the game’s fourth from the spot, it felt like the exclamation point on a title win. Burke made it 4-1 with his second penalty on 76 minutes after Anto Breslin was sent off for handball on the line, and the fans were singing. And they are that close to the title again having produced the goods when it mattered last night to send the majority of the 7,469 home planning a party. That happened just seconds after Rovers’ fans in the South Stand celebrated news that Shelbourne had taken the lead in Derry as a night of reckoning turned the Hoops way. Shamrock Rovers on title watch as they beat Pat’s and put one hand on the League of Ireland trophy

Liz Truss' spell as the boss in Downing Street seems like an eternity compared to the title race, which flirted but ran aground in no time at all as ...

Towell and Watts both came close to making it five as Saints prayed for the end. The short-lived drama of this title race was beautifully summed up halfway through the half as the home fans celebrated Shels taking the lead at Brandywell seconds before Saints were awarded a penalty for a handball. Jack Byrne went off injured five minutes into the second half and that would have given some hope to Pat's, who started the second half well. Hoops led again just before half-time – and it was due. A beautiful Lopes pass fed Lyons and he played in Burke; Joe Redmond need not have made a rash challenge but he did – and there was little doubt that the technician Burke would score. 📺 Watch live -

Derry City dropped points in their game against Shelbourne as a 1-1 draw means the gap between them and first place Rovers is eight points. It was a goal fest ...

Finally, two teams at bottom of the table battled it out at the UCD bowl where the home side said came out on top against Drogheda United 2-1. Things went down hill from there though as two first half goals had Rovers ahead at the break. Two penalties from Graham Burke in either half along with goals from Daniel Clearly and Séan Hoare saw the home side complete a comfortable 4-1 win.

With a hat-trick of Premier Division titles almost in the bag, Shamrock Rovers boss Stephen Bradley could be forgiven for adopting a conservative approach ...

"We'll go to win the game against Derry. "Late on, obviously you're chasing it. They always do and they always have.

It's a big night in the title race as Rovers host St Pat's while Derry City entertain Shelbourne.

“I’ve always said that win, lose or draw, we understand what happened and we move on. We want to go and retain the league but time will tell if we’ve done enough to do that. “You have to work hard - and Chris does. But there are going to be times where it just doesn’t happen for you. “It's about getting over the line and picking up points. “He was really good over there and he's continued that here. It's (about) getting points and it's another point closer to where we want to be. “You don’t get the bounce of the ball, you don’t get a decision, you don’t perform and the other team are just better than you on the day and that happens. But Byrne wants to silence Forrester tonight and added: “He got the winner in Richmond at the start of the year, but hopefully we get one over on him this time.” Derry are doing the business they need to do and we need to do the business at our end.” “I kinda play the way the game should be played, create chances and try to get control of the game and he does the same. “We got beat up in Drogheda at the start of the year but we got a point there last week.