Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley said his team had stayed focused amid "the noise" generated by their slow start to the season, following their impressive 2-0 derby win over city rivals Bohemians on Friday night.
Goals from Neil Farrugia and Rory Gaffney propelled the champions to victory in Dalymount, only their second win of the season after eight games, following on from their 4-0 demolition of Dundalk last week.
Despite beginning the campaign with five draws and a defeat in their opening six games, Bradley maintained throughout that performances were strong, something he stressed in particular after their 2-1 home loss to 2022 runners-up Derry City, a game which the Hoops largely dominated.
In the wake of the derby win, Bradley said some people had gotten "carried away" after the first six games and insisted that all that's changed is the results have started to arrive.
"I thought we were excellent, very, very good. Just a continuation of what we've been the last few weeks," Bradley told RTÉ Sport afterwards.
"In the second half, we managed the game so well, so comfortable and possibly could have had more goals. The all-round performance was very, very good.
"I've been saying it for weeks. It's not been anything other than the truth. We've been really, really good. We're what, eight games in, nine games in? People getting carried away for no reason.
"We've been successful for a reason. We stay focused and trust what we do.
"There's been a lot of noise. But we always get that at this club. We've earned that because we're the best in the country. So, you get that. We understand how to deal with that."
In particular, Bradley singled out Irish internationals Jack Byrne and Graham Burke for praise, as well as reigning Player of the Season Gaffney, who forced home the second goal midway through the second half.
"There's been a lot of noise. But we always get that at this club. We've earned that because we're the best in the country.
"All of them were brilliant but Jack and Graham were outstanding. We had five or six changes with illness in the group. But I thought the players that came in were brilliant, stood up to a man.
"We've had to tweak how Rory [Gaffney] trains at the moment just to make sure he's ready for Friday nights. But when you get that sort of performance out of him, he was brilliant tonight.
"He ran the two centre-halves ragged all night, he held the ball up, his link-up play was brilliant. He was Player of the Year last season and he's shown that again last weekend and tonight."
