Shamrock Rovers demonstrated their prowess, there was tension but no goals at Dalymount Park and Drogheda beat near neighbours Dundalk for the first time in 13 years.
Results
Premier Division:
Bohemians 0-0 Sligo Rovers
Dundalk 1-2 Drogheda
Galway United 0-3 Bray Wanderers
St Patrick’s Athletic 1-1 Derry
UCD 1-6 Shamrock Rovers
Shamrock Rovers demonstrated just why they are the team to beat with an exhibition of their superiority over an embattled UCD on Friday night.
The Hoops went to Belfield and ran rings around their hosts, putting six goals past the UCD defence.
They kept their position at the top of the Premier Division with a fierce display of goalmouth action. Gary Twigg and Ciaran Kilduff had a brace each, with a goal a-piece from Karl Sheppard and Billy Dennehy.
It took a while for things to get going, with the first 20 minutes or so quiet enough. But after that the goals kept coming. Rovers were two goals up at half time andit didn’t help that UCD’s Michael Leahy had been sent off for his tackle on Dennehy.
After the break it all went the visitors’ way. When UCD’s Darren Meenan curled in a strong shot from the left it meant the home side were finally on the scorecard, but by that point they were already five goals down.
Elsewere, there were no goals at Dalymount Park where the Bohs welcomed Sligo Rovers, but a fair bit of tension. As temperatures rose there were two sending offs in the first half, with Bohs Danny Joyce and Sligo’s Gavin Peers both seeing red.
Defender Joyce was gone after a two-footed tackle on Sligo captain Richie Ryan five minutes in. Sligo tried to take advantage of their extra man, but lost that advantage after their man’s sending off, Peers receiving a second yellow after 21 minutes. From that point on there was plenty of fire, and a fair bit of indiscipline, but little threat to either goal.
Drogheda’s trip to Dundalk gave the visitors a rare win. Dundalk’s Daniel Kearn managed a late strike, but by that time Drogheda had two in the bag, a first half goal from Daniel Corcoran and one in the second half from Philip Hand.
Drogheda’s win was their first at Oriel Park for 13 years and ended Dundalk’s impressive unbeaten home run.
There was to be no joy for Galway United in Terryland Park. Conor Murphy’s first-half goal for Bray Wanderers was followed by a second from John Mulroy and a third from new boy Stephen Last.
At first Galway looked less jittery than they had done of late, but the first goal against them had them rattled. And in the second half they were utterly outplayed by their determined visitors.
Derry made the long journey to Richmond Park for a repeat of their most recent encounter at The Brandywell. The points were divvied up evenly at the end of what was a balanced game.
Derry were first to score, just after half an hour, thanks to Stephen McLoughlin, before Danny North equalised on half time. There were other chances, including a curling free kick that hit the post from Derry’s Danny Lafferty, but in the end it was St Pats 1-1 Derry.
First Division:
Cork City 2-0 Althlone Town
Shelbourne 4-0 Mervue United
In the First Division, Cork picked up all three points thanks to a brace from Graham Cummins in what was an easy win at Turner’s Cross.
And Shelbourne made light work of Mervue United at Tolka Park, thanks in no small part to a classy hat-trick from Philly Hughes. Hughes’s three would have been enough, but Conan Byrne provided a fourth in the last fifteen minutes. Just to be sure.
Nick Bradshaw (follow Nick: twitter.com/twitbradshaw)
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