Graham Burke was understandably chuffed with his four-timer in the Hoops 6-1 thrashing of Derry City at the Tallaght Stadium. Rovers were actually under the cosh early on as Kenny Shiels’ side forced seven corners in the opening 30 minutes. But Burk
Graham Burke was understandably chuffed with his four-timer in the Hoops 6-1 thrashing of Derry City at the Tallaght Stadium.
Rovers were actually under the cosh early on as Kenny Shiels’ side forced seven corners in the opening 30 minutes. But Burke’s 41st minute opener settled home nerves. “The first one – it’s a great ball from Ronan,” says Burke. “I knew once I took my touch I was in front of goal, so I tried to keep it down, but it actually went high!” The ball flew into the roof of Candystripes skipper Doherty’s net to give Rovers a vital 1-0 advantage heading into the break.
Burke went on to add three more as the Hoops ran riot in the second half. “The second - it’s great work from ‘Brando’ (Brandon Miele). I think ‘Brando’ was going to shoot but he sees me out of the corner of his eye. I’m on my own and I just slotted it,” says the ex-Aston Villa man of a strike, which could be traced back to a poor clearance by Doherty.
Derry resistance had crumbled by the time Burke completed his hat-trick when he was afforded the freedom of Tallaght in the 75th minute to tap home Trevor Clarke’s low left-wing cross. “It’s a great ball from Trevor and I just came in on the back post.”
Burke defied managerial instructions to conserve energy and raced into the box to claim Rovers sixth deep into second half stoppage time. “The last one I was told to stay in the middle. But unfortunately, I made a forty-yard run and lucky enough ‘Shawsy’ (Gary Shaw) found me.”
It added up to four, the first time a Rovers player has scored four since Stephen Geoghegan back in 1992.
