The Rovers' return was worth the wait and more as the champions, powered by youth, edged a slow-burning thriller against a somewhat unlucky Saint Patrick's.
Michael Noonan was barely off the bench when he converted from close range 21 minutes from the end, before the excellent Adam Brennan made the points safe – and this was a performance that suggested we might be fooling ourselves to think anyone but the Hoops will win the league again.
True, they should have been behind by the time the goal arrived, but Rovers' squad strength was emphasised in the final quarter and their youngsters by and large excelled on a night when Pat's manager Stephen Kenny will also look to legitimate positives.
Rovers manager Stephen Bradley entrusted a pleasing smattering of inexperience with responsibility on Rovers' belated seasonal debut: Corey O'Sullivan, Brennan and Victor Ozhianvuna started, with John McGovern, 23 but described as a raw diamond by his manager Stephen Bradley, given the nod up front.
Many eyes were inevitably on Jake Mulraney, gladly sold on by the Saints at the end of a patchy season in 2025.
When Mulraney blasted over from a reasonably promising position three minutes in, the visiting fans' roar could be heard all over Dublin 24 – this was going to be a fun watch.
Arsenal-bound Ozhianvuna was fortunate Rob Harvey did not book him for pulling back Kian Leavy nine absorbing minutes in. A strong breeze nearly played a part in Mulraney scoring from a corner kick right beside the Saints fans; with Joe Anang apparently happy things were under control, the ball curled against the crossbar.
Ozhianvuna then left his foot in on Joe Redmond but again Harvey opted against a yellow. It was striking, 25 minutes in, how little time Pat's had enjoyed out of their own half; that said, neither side had created anything of real note. Then Matt Healy found the lively McGovern with a fine long ball and the striker fed Mulraney, whose flick lacked power if not imagination.
Leavy was doing most for the Saints and even the Rovers fans would have expected Harvey to book Pico Lopes for upending the Ardee native on the half-hour mark; the whistler was nothing if not lenient. Big Ryan Edmunson had Lopes' physical measure and then some – he was unfortunate to slip when Lopes was struggling to get back on 33 minutes.
At the other end, Lopes' defensive ally Dan Cleary raided forward with surprising swagger; his cross had to be cleared for a corner. After that came to nothing, Lopes burst back to stop the pacy Leavy from closing in on goal.
If Ozhianvuna impressed, so did Brennan, and he did brilliantly to get back and stop Ronan Boyce from getting a shot away. Finally, as the interval neared, Pat's were showing something. At the other end, Healy failed to trouble Anang from around 25 yards.
Pat's started the second half well but McGovern was nearly in on 54 minutes, with Mulraney baying for the ball in the box, only for Pat's to clear. Shortly afterwards, Rovers were beyond blessed not to fall in arrears.
Initially, Jamie Lennon's curler outside the box was superbly saved onto the post by Ed McGinty, with Edmondson making a mess of the rebound and Barry Baggley driving the ball, which refused to leave the box, wide.
From the kick out, Mulraney surrendered the ball under pressure and Edmondson had a sudden one-on-one with McGinty. The Englishman is talented but was not a prolific scorer in his homeland; how he failed to convert this perhaps showed why.
Ozhianvuna worked Anang at the other end and the crowd was loving this belated end-to-end cracker. The home fans were even more giddy when Jack Byrne, Graham Burke and Noonan were introduced with 23 minutes left, Mulraney one of those taken off after a poor second half.
The opener was a thing of beauty. Healy's passing range was a feature of the evening, as was the pace of Brennan; both were a feature before the UCD recruit played it to Noonan, who engineered a sweet finish.
The 7,573 in attendance nearly saw a stunner from Byrne in the next attack. Liam Brady, now 70, will be remembered for that goal against Brazil all those years ago: there is something about a player shooting into the corner nobody expected. Here, after Byrne's shot hit the near post, it bounced back off Anang and luckily away.
Brennan looks a proper coup and he ensured the points, before going over with cramp, with ten minutes to go, the winger heading in at the back stick after Danny Grant's centre. As Rovers fans pleaded for a third, which nearly arrived, and Byrne raced back to stop a Pat's counter-attack, one wondered: is this 2026 version of Shamrock Rovers going to be their best yet?
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Dan Cleary, Roberto Lopes, Corey O'Sullivan; Danny Grant, Matt Healy, Dylan Watts (Graham Burke 67), Adam Brennan (Enda Stevens 81), Jake Mulraney (Jack Byrne 67); Victor Ozhianvuna (Connor Malley 77), John McGovern (Michael Noonan 67).
Saint Patrick's Athletic: Joe Anang; Tom Grivosti (Romal Palmer 86), Joe Redmond, Luke Turner; Ronan Boyce, Barry Baggley, Jamie Lennon, Darragh Nugent (Chris Forrester 73), Jason McClelland; Kian Leavy (Glory Nzingo 79); Ryan Edmondson.
Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).
