“We’re delighted,” said Shamrock Rovers Head Coach Stephen Bradley as his side marched into the quarter-finals of the Extra.ie FAI Cup, courtesy of 4-0 home win over First Division Drogheda United at the Tallaght Stadium. “I felt we fully deserved i
“We’re delighted,” said Shamrock Rovers Head Coach Stephen Bradley as his side marched into the quarter-finals of the Extra.ie FAI Cup, courtesy of 4-0 home win over First Division Drogheda United at the Tallaght Stadium.
“I felt we fully deserved it,” said Bradley on a night that some of the Hoops’ biggest rivals (including the 2018 runners-up and their south Dublin City neighbours) exited the competition and a couple of others needed extra time and penalties to advance.
A well-organised Drogheda eleven, playing an effective 4-5-1, made life difficult for Rovers, without offering much in attack themselves, with a lively Chris Lyons somewhat isolated in the lone striker’s role. “They obviously came to sit in and try for something from a set play or something like that,” was Bradley’s assessment.
The home side bossed possession in the opening half but the game was deadlocked 0-0 at the break, although 16 minutes in, Graham Burke did rocket a shot from distance that bounced back off Luca Gratzer’s crossbar at the South Stand End. Bradley wasn’t unduly concerned. “I felt we were very good. We worked them very hard in the second half. First half we were a bit slow.”
“Second half we worked them (with) a lot higher tempo and we got our rewards.” Those rewards came in the shape of sublime strikes from new boy Gary O’Neill, Aaron Greene (that’s a seventh goal in eight games in all competitions for the rejuvenated front man), Aaron McEneff and Sean Kavanagh.
“We have to make sure we hit our levels and if we do that, we should be fine,” said Bradley of the further challenges ahead, as the Hoops seek to win the Extra.ie FAI Cup for the first time since 1987 and continue to battle for the league title.
