Shamrock Rovers manager Damien Richardson has admitted that Wednesday night's dramatic 3-0 win over championship rivals Shelbourne at Tolka Park was one the strangest matches he has ever witnessed. But Richardson commended referee Aidan O'Hagan for a 'professional' display in a game that saw two Shels players sent-off during a turbulent first-half, Shels goalkeeper Steve Williams taken to hospital after a collision with Tony Grant on the edge of the area, and Rovers captain Derek Tracey also taken to hospital earlier in the match following a horror-tackle by Shels' Jim Gannon. Dermott Keely's men found themselves 3-0 down at the break, and with nine men there was to be only winner, and Rovers gladly returned to the summit of the eircom Premier Division, moving two points clear of reigning champions Bohemians.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, former Shels manager Richardson admitted: "It was a bizarre game, one I haven't experienced for many a long time. I felt very sorry for the referee, he was thrown into a situation that was most difficult to handle and I have to compliment him. I think he handled himself with great aplomb and great professionalism. From my point of view it's a good three points for us, but the most important thing, the most enduring factor, is the safety of one of my players. Derek Tracey went off to hospital, and indeed Shelbourne's goalkeeper Steve Williams was also taken to hospital. It's very rare in the game that you'd get two such incidents. The tackle on Tracey looked awful but I know Jim Gannon well, and there's no malice in the individual whatsoever. It was just one of those unfortunate things that happens. As if the game needed it, there was also another incident when Tony Grant and the goalkeeper (Williams) went for the ball quite legitimately, but unfortunately the 'keeper had to go off. "
O'Regan had no option but to dismiss Gannon for his 23rd minute challenge on Tracey, and was left with no choice but to show Peter Hutton red after 39 minutes when he handled on the line following Williams' incident with Grant. Pat Deans, Tracey's replacement, opened the scoring with a 35th minute header, and Marc Kenny made no mistake with the 39th minute penalty from Hutton's handball. Kenny added his second just before the interval against Shels' nine men with a free from 25 yards, but it was the unfortunate incidents that were to shape the rest of the game.
Richardson continued: "It set the tone for the game and it was very difficult to carry on after that. In the second half, just trying to take the pressure off the game, we tried to keep possession and move the ball around and take any sting out of it because it didn't need any more moments of controversy."
Despite their numerical advantage Shams failed to improve on their three first half goals, although they did have two efforts ruled out for offside in an understandably subdued second period.
Filed by Shane Murray
