Rovers stretch their lead

Shamrock Rovers 3 Galway United 0:SHAMROCK ROVERS moved six points clear at the top of the Premier League with five fixtures remaining thanks to a second emphatic victory over Galway United in the space of a week.

It had been one-way traffic when the two sides met in the FAI Cup a week ago, with Rovers running out 6-0 winners after United goalkeeper Barry Ryan was sent off in the 12th minute. Reserve goalkeeper Darragh Geraghty had come on as substitute in that game and he filled in for the suspended Ryan last night. Jason Molloy replaced Stephen O’Donnell, who was also suspended.

Rovers introduced Stephen Bradley and Neale Fenn into their starting line-up in place of Stephen Rice and the suspended Billy Dennehy.

The home side started with authority and James Chambers was influential in their first notable attack, firing over a fourth-minute cross that Thomas Stewart steered wide at the near post.

Chambers was a key man in the opening goal in the 10th minute when his pass from the right found Fenn, who neatly shimmied to find space to chip to the back post for Gary Twigg to convert.

The same three players were involved in the creation of Twigg’s second goal in the 26th minute. Twigg fed Chambers on the right and his deep cross found Fenn, who cleverly volleyed across goal and Twigg had continued his run and was well placed to volley home from 10 yards out.

Rovers went 3-0 up in the 32nd minute when Craig Sives headed home powerfully from a Bradley corner to further emphasise the gulf in class between the sides.

Galway had their first attempt of note in the 37th minute when Gary Curran curled in a free-kick from the right and Derek O’Brien flicked it goalwards but Rovers goalkeeper Alan Mannus saved easily. Mannus made a full-length dive to save a Curran strike in the 45th minute but the strike lacked the venom to truly threaten a goal.

Twigg had another strike in first-half injury-time after more impressive play by Chambers but Geraghty got down well to save.

Another Chambers pass released Twigg once more two minutes into the second half but with just Geraghty to beat, Twigg surprisingly fired off target. Karl Sheppard had a chance to pull one back in the 51st minute but Mannus saved his close-range header.

Curran’s set-pieces were an occasional threat to the Rovers defence and in the 58th minute the midfielder almost curled the ball directly into the net from a corner. Danny Murphy was well-placed to clear. Sheppard produced a blistering strike from distance in the 66th minute that Mannus was happy to palm around his right upright. Little else happened afterwards to threaten the outcome.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Murphy, Sives, Price, Stevens, Chambers (Rice 53), Bradley (Bayly 79), Turner, Stewart, Fenn (Baker 60), Twigg.

GALWAY UNITED: Geraghty; Sinnott, McKenzie, Reilly (King 25), Meynell, Molloy (Keogh 68), Curran, Conneely, O’Brien, Walsh, K Sheppard (D Sheppard 84).

Referee: T Connolly (Dublin).