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Aaron Greene lights up Tallaght to leave ten-man Shamrock Rovers sitting pretty after seeing off Dundalk

Updated / Saturday, 3 Jun 2023 00:10
Aaron Greene made the difference for the reigning champions
Aaron Greene made the difference for the reigning champions

Another topsy turvy night of results in the Premier Division saw ten-man Shamrock Rovers return to the League of Ireland summit with a comfortable win over Dundalk at Tallaght Stadium.

Aaron Greene proved the difference between the two sides and while his first goal might go down as a Nathan Sheppard own goal after replays showed his close-range effort was going wide, there was no doubt about his second goal just after the hour mark.

The Hoops average a red card every three games and after Richie Towell, Sean Hoare and Johnny Kenny were dismissed away to Cork last Friday, a professional foul on Rayhaan Tulloch from former Lilywhite Ronan Finn gave them their fourth red in two games.

To their credit, Rovers responded well despite losing their captain and hit Dundalk with a sucker punch second goal and they were happy to soak up late pressure as Dundalk fired plenty of efforts on goal but failed to test Leon Pohls.

Shamrock Rovers were looking to arrest a run of back-to-back defeats while Dundalk came to Tallaght looking for a first win in four games. Both teams were bang out of form so naturally there was a very open start to the game on a sun kissed Tallafornia pitch.

The visitors had the better of the early exchanges and a training ground routine from a corner saw Archie Davies arrive late at the back post but he cannoned his free header into the ground in the fourth minute.

Rovers got joy from long diagonals in the channel between Davies and Hayden Muller with Greene going close in either half, but the excellent Sheppard stood firm twice.

Dundalk had another couple of moments through Tulloch and Greg Sloggett but the Hoops asserted their dominance in the second quarter.

A quick free kick from Greene to Jack Byrne caught the Lilywhites napping and Shepperd came flying to the rescue to close down Markus Poom just after the half hour mark.

Stephen Bradley's side moved through the gears and saw their pressure pay as Greene found space in the six-yard area to tap Finn's cross home via the legs of Sheppard.

Rovers’ disciplinary issues reared their ugly head as the game turned on its head five minutes into the second half when Tulloch seized on a stray Pico Lopes pass before Finn clattered into him.

Controversy surrounded the three red cards in Turners Cross last Friday but Finn could have no complaints this time around.

The hallmark of champions is how you respond to adversity and it was the ten-man hosts who hit Dundalk on the counterattack as Rory Gaffney slipped Greene in behind and there was no doubt about this one as he rounded Sheppard to leave Stephen O’Donnell aghast on the sideline.

Dundalk had half chances through Connor Malley and former Bohemian Keith Ward but the best of them fell to Tulloch who scuffed a volley at Pohls.

Shamrock Rovers: Leon Pohls; Daniel Cleary, Ronan Finn, Lee Grace, Sean Kavanagh (Sean Gannon 62), Pico; Jack Byrne (Liam Burt 75), Gary O'Neill, Markus Poom; Rory Gaffney (Darragh Nugent 75), Aaron Greene (Kieran Cruise 86).

Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Andy Boyle, Archie Davies, Darragh Leahy, Hayden Muller (Cameron Elliott 70); Paul Doyle (Alfie Lewis 62), Daniel Kelly (Ryan O'Kane 70), Connor Malley, Greg Sloggett (Keith Ward 62), Rayhaan Tulloch; Patrick Hoban.

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