Set pieces the difference as St Pat’s edge thriller at Tolka
In January, Stephen Kenny revealed he had cancelled a postseason holiday to spend some time with his former Republic of Ireland coaches John Eustace and Keith Andrews.
The latter has been a revelation in England this season, guiding Brentford to seventh and making good use of his background as a set-piece coach in the new-look, corner-and-throw-in-obsessed Premier League.
It may be that Kenny gleaned some of Andrews’ wisdom because on Friday night, St Patrick’s Athletic found their second and third goals through corner kicks. Both were swung into clustered six-yard boxes that bore a striking resemblance to the vignettes shared online after a weekend of Premier League football, with the guts of two teams grappling desperately in the shadow of a crossbar.
The average League of Ireland game is close-fought and highly physical. Every manager understands the value of set pieces in that context, but weaponising them isn’t straightforward, particularly for a side like St Pat’s that may generally concern themselves with open play niceties ahead of the stockpiling of human trees.
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It helps that St Pat’s can call on the delivery of James Brown, whose right-footed inswingers were instrumental in all three of their goals. Two were finished off by new striker Ryan Edmondson, and suddenly it looks as though Kenny has an impressive array of options in the part of the pitch left vacant by Tottenham’s Mason Melia.
Joey O’Brien acknowledged after the match that “you can’t win any game of football” conceding set pieces like the ones his side shipped, and referenced Shelbourne’s failure to handle free kicks and corners in previous games against Waterford and Drogheda. “We need to address it pretty soon,” he added.
Shelbourne had managed to rouse themselves in an electric second half, clawing back a two-goal deficit only to be undone by Max Mata’s winner in injury time. There were positives to take from the performances of John Martin and Harry Wood, but five points in four games constitutes a stuttering start.
Jack Byrne shows his worth
If Jack Byrne is fit and happy, he is one of the best footballers in the League of Ireland, which is what made his four-month stint in the United Arab Emirates third-division last season so bewildering.
Alongside Adam Brennan, who looks a menacing force at wing back, Byrne was Shamrock Rovers’ best player on Friday night. The champions were patient, holding Derry City at arm’s length and knowing a winner was always more likely to arrive than not.
In those scenarios, when Rovers are controlling the ball and prodding an opponent, Byrne is a joy to watch. Recycling the ball at speed and always scanning for an incisive pass, he may bring the best out of the willing teenage attackers in this Hoops side as the season goes on.
Byrne and Brennan already look to have developed a strong understanding. It was their combination that led to Rovers’ penalty 10 minutes from time, converted by Dylan Watts.
For Derry, uncomfortable conversations may be starting to unfold around James McClean’s midfield role. In contrast to Byrne, the 36-year-old struggled to assert any influence in Tallaght, and thus far Tiernan Lynch has failed to unlock his best attributes in an unfamiliar area of the pitch.
It is early days, but given his profile, McClean is unlikely to be afforded quiet and patience as he acclimatises.
Resolute Bohemians continue fine defensive form
Outside of nail-biting injury time wobbles, league leaders Bohemians are yet to concede a goal this season.
Perhaps the scare last week, in an otherwise commanding victory over Shamrock Rovers, points to vulnerabilities that will reveal themselves in the fullness of time, but it has been a remarkable start for their defence, and in particular for new centre back partnership Patrick Hickey and Sam Todd.
It looked as though the pair’s run was coming to an end, with Todd not named in Alan Reynolds’ starting line-up for Bohs’ trip to Waterford on Friday. Harry Vaughan had an issue in the warm-up, however, prompting a decisive reshuffle.
Bohemians had started well, passing the ball with confidence and imposing themselves on the home side. Set pieces were looking like fertile ground with Hickey coming close to scoring 10 minutes in, meeting an out-swinging Dayle Rooney corner at the near post but flashing his header wide.
The American was likely the target again moments later, but this time the flight of Rooney’s delivery evaded Hickey. Instead, inexplicably, it was allowed to bounce en route to Todd, who steered his header brilliantly into the top left corner. It was a deserved lead that could have grown over the course of a dominant first half.
Waterford, for their part, have produced good spells in every game so far, but the challenge lies in assembling a complete performance. They improved significantly in the second 45, with credit owed to Jon Daly’s three substitutions and change of shape, but it wasn’t enough to break through.
Reynolds described his side’s first half performance as “outstanding”, but equally had praise for their resilience under pressure. “Second half, we know we could be better, but we also showed another side to us,” he said.
Elsewhere, Galway United and Dundalk took a point each from a 2-2 draw at Eamonn Deacy Park. The introduction of Kris Twardek had flipped the game on its head for the home side, but Bobby Burns, who spent last season in Galway, fizzed a low equaliser into the corner 10 minutes from time.
