Stephen Bradley confirmed that Matt Healy has received his first Ireland call-up after helping Shamrock Rovers to secure a six-point lead at the mid-season break in the League of Ireland.
Healy played the full 90 minutes at Tallaght Stadium where Graham Burke's first-half strike was enough to give the Hoops all three points against the side which started the night in second place, St Patrick's Athletic.
It's a result which moves Bradley's defending champions six points clear of the chasing pack, with Bohemians now their nearest challengers after their 3-1 win over Sligo Rovers.
"Matt Healy's been called up," the Rovers manager told RTÉ Sport after the game.
"I spoke to Heimir (Hallgrimsson) before the game. I didn't tell him until after but he was called up before."
It's a fair reward for the Cork native, who spent two years in Belgium with Francs Borains, before joining Rovers ahead of the start of last season.
He'll join up with fellow Rovers players Ed McGinty, who also played the full game in west Dublin, and Adam Brennan ahead of the friendly clash with Canada next month.
Having lost two games on the bounce to Dundalk and Sligo, the Hoops responded this week, taking six points from derby clashes against Bohemians and St Patrick's Athletic.
They have played a game more than the Super Saints, who they now lead by eight points, but Bradley says it's a healthy lead to have ahead of the start of their European campaign in early July.
"We're delighted. Our aim at the start of pre-season was to try and be ahead at the break because we know we get better in the second part of the season.
"We were missing quite a few tonight in terms of injuries and, obviously, Adam being away. We'll get them back as well so it was really important we went into the break ahead.
"We know it gets busy once we're back and hopefully, if we're doing our stuff, we'll play until right into December.
"To have any type of lead is going to be so important because it's so challenging playing in Europe and domestically."
Burke's goal oozed class, as he took a touch on his right, before striking a sweet ball into the top right corner beyond the reach of World Cup-bound Joe Anang in the Pat's goal.
"I'm privileged to watch someone like that," Bradley said of his match winner.
"The ability he has and what he gives to the game, how he lives his life towards the game and the maturity has helped him become a better player.
"He's a special talent. We shouldn't take for granted what we have there and what we see on a daily and weekly basis.
"For someone of that type who plays the majority of the game in our half, to have over 100 goals is incredible.
"He should have half that. He's not a forward who stands up top and runs in behind.
"He's not a big centre-forward that relies on crosses. Nine times out of ten, Graham creates his own opportunities and takes them."
St Pat's manager Stephen Kenny felt his side had a legitimate goal chalked off when Sean Hoare's side-footed finish was ruled out for offside.
"I wasn't happy enough with our attacking play in the first half. Our more creative players didn't get into the game," he told RTÉ Sport afterwards.
"Second half, we had the majority of the play and we scored what looks very much like it was a legitimate goal by Sean Hoare.
"Obviously the free-kick has come from a fair distance from Zack Elbouzedi, it's a brilliant ball. And he [Hoare], from the tactical angle we have - I haven't seen the TV angle - but from the tactical angle we have, he looks onside.
"He's accelerated past the defender and side-footed it home. If we score that, people probably say one all is a fair result.
"But it's not given. A marginal call.
"We found clear-cut chances difficult to come by. We'd a lot of snatched at half-chances."
It's Pat's third defeat of the season to the champions, a head-to-head sequence which on its own, more than accounts for the gap between the two sides in the table.
Asked whether they were a bogey team for his side, Kenny replied: "Statistics suggest that alright.
"Since we've came in, we've beaten them three times but certainly not this season.
"I think early in the season we weren't quite ready. A lot of long-term injuries from last season and players not ready to go. We missed some good chances in that game
"But I felt we were ready today, fully fit squad. No excuses really. We'd everyone more or less [available] bar one or two. And we came out on the wrong side of it, a tight 1-0."
Pat's, who haven't won the league title since 2013, are now eight points adrift heading into the summer interval, though they do have a game in hand.
"Seventeen matches left, we have a game in hand as well. All we can do is try and hit the ground running after the break.
"We've got four home games in six when we come back so we've got to start well after the break and take it from there."
