Daryl Horgan’s brilliance, Shamrock Rovers dominance as the seasons reaches half-time: Friday’s League of Ireland lessons (original) (raw)

Shamrock Rovers strolling into the sunset

As Bohemians discovered last Monday, a top of the league clash against Shamrock Rovers can be akin to extending a desperate arm towards something you badly want to grasp, and watching as it sits recumbent and perennially out of reach.

St Patrick’s Athletic’s desperation on Friday night was best summed up by a flurry of late crosses towards MacGyvered striker Joseph Anang, who flung himself admirably, though hopelessly, towards each lofted ball. The damage had already been done.

On Monday, it was a last-gasp Enda Stevens header that secured three points at Dalymount, but in Tallaght, Rovers got their business out of the way early. A thunderbolt from Graham Burke eight minutes in, his sixth goal of the season despite being in and out of the starting 11, was a worthy winner.

Stephen Bradley was full of praise for his side at full-time. “It’s a great win after Monday night,” he said. “You have to understand the emotion that goes into them games over in Dalymount and Dublin derbies. For us to come tonight in another Dublin derby and give everything to the game ... was really pleasing.”

He likely has a better eye for emotional bandwidth than the viewing public. From the outside, the champions look a cold and ruthless machine, unbothered by the sort of sentimentality that makes opponents vulnerable. It is very hard to see anyone denying them another title.

Daryl Horgan fairytale continues

Derry City's Cameron Dummigan tackles Dundalk's Daryl Horgan during the game at Oriel Park. Photograph: Stephen Heaney/Inpho

Ciarán Kilduff has been fielding deserved plaudits all season for the fresh and expansive style of football he has instilled in Dundalk, but his greatest trick might be platforming a man four years his junior.

Six goals and six assists now for Daryl Horgan is a half-season return that comes close to eclipsing his title-winning campaigns in the same shirt a decade ago. Any physical deterioration he has suffered in the interim has been counterbalanced by ever-evolving creative nous and a heightened understanding of the game.

Put simply, Horgan is affecting games better than anyone else in the league. His latest goal and assist, both arriving against Derry City at Oriel Park on Friday night, were complemented by pretty, flowing team moves, but the actions of real consequence still came from the Galwegian.

Sandwiched between those Dundalk efforts was as good a League of Ireland goal as you’re ever likely to see. A howitzer volley from Cameron Dummigan that cracked in off the underside of the crossbar, it was struck at such pace that Dundalk goalkeeper Enda Minogue optimistically pretended it hadn’t crossed the line.

Kilduff described it as “probably the best goal I’ve ever seen” post-match, and praised his side for the fight they showed to overcome it. No one embodied their tenacity more than Horgan.

“By the end he was playing with one arm and one leg,” Kilduff said. “To come up with a goal and an assist is massive character.”

League reaches halfway point

Perhaps too much is made of the League of Ireland ‘midseason break’, notably described as “amateurish” and “a week on the gargle” by Damien Duff this time last year, given it ultimately constitutes a rest period of one matchday.

With that said, it is as good a time as any to look around and take stock. As can often happen, the biggest points margins are at either end of the league table. Shamrock Rovers have a healthy lead of six at the top, and Waterford require a drastic surge to claw back an eight-point gap separating them from Sligo Rovers.

Since Graham Coughlan took charge in early May, they have managed a win and two draws from five games, which is definitely an upturn. Their latest was a seesaw 3-3 in Drogheda on Friday, lined with moments of attacking quality but ballasted by the feeble surrender of a 2-0 lead. “I’m not allowed swear, am I?” Coughlan asked at full-time.

He seems to have faith in his side’s ability to improve their results, if not their tactical discipline. “We actually encourage the opponent,” he explained. “We encourage the opponent by bringing them on to us. We come away from the game plan; we come away from the blueprint that brings us success. We start changing and individuals start doing individual things.”

Bohemians strikers find form

Douglas James-Taylor opened the scoring for Bohemians at Sligo Rovers. Photograph: Tom Maher/Inpho

After their damaging defeat to Shamrock Rovers on Monday, Bohemians responded in style with a comfortable 3-1 victory in Sligo on Friday.

Goals from both of their strikers, the lately maligned Douglas James-Taylor and Colm Whelan, were much needed. There was encouragement to take from a pair of assists for Harry Vaughan, the Hull City loanee whose influence is growing in a side already blessed with creative midfield options.

For all those positives, Alan Reynolds may still feel frustrated that one or two of those clinical finishes didn’t arrive four days earlier. Still, he can look at the first half of the season with great pride. Bohemians sit in second place and look nailed on for a European spot, if not that tantalising title challenge.

Sligo Rovers will be pleased that Waterford didn’t manage to hold on to their lead in Drogheda. A shock victory in Tallaght a week ago put a gloss on a difficult recent run of form for the Bit O’Red, who travel to the RSC for a massive game upon the league’s resumption.

Shelbourne extend unbeaten run

Seven games without defeat is impressive for a side in the bunched up middle realm of the League of Ireland, though four of those results have been draws for Shelbourne.

They played out an entertaining 1-1 with Galway United on Friday night at Tolka Park. Either side could have won it, and Shels did hit the woodwork twice, but periods of the game were familiarly laborious for the home side, as they prodded ineffectively in possession and hoped that (eventual goalscorer on the night) Harry Wood might produce a moment of individual quality.

Each of their wins in those last seven games have come via slender one-goal margins. Stagnation in attack is a new and perhaps welcome problem for Joey O’Brien, after enduring a difficult spell defensively that saw Shels ship 12 goals in four consecutive defeats in April.