Shamrock Rovers beat second-placed Derry City 1-0 in Dublin on Monday night to move seven points ahead of the Candystripes at the top of the Premier Division table.
Derry looked the Hoops’ biggest challengers going into this season but their levels have patently gone downhill in the past couple of months.
And despite coming to the Tallaght Stadium with the best of intentions, they were ultimately no match for the home side.
Rory Gaffney’s slow-motion strike decided a game that went from pulsating to forgettable – though at 1-0 down Derry at least in theory still had prospects.
The concern is that, despite a worrying Neil Farrugia departure (injured late in the first half) and Jack Byrne getting an early shower too, Derry barely managed a sniff of goal in the final 80 minutes.
So, with the champions far from hitting top gear, and having a seven-point lead over the rest despite failing to win any of their first half-dozen games, we are seemingly facing into another title race lacking drama – which is just what Shamrock Rovers want.
It took them a long time to reach this level, but somehow they remain hungry, evolving and a long way ahead of the rest.
Derry started with purpose and were on top in the opening stages but Rovers continue to give the impression that they are playing within themselves and they will be more than content going into European combat shortly.
Derry face a battle to finish in the first two but they will justifiably point to so much having gone wrong this season, some of it down to their artificial surface at Brandywell.
They started with three at the back, Cameron Dummigan right of the three, as they aimed to match Rovers.
They pressed up aggressively, hoping that their three could deal with Gaffney and Johnny Kenny.
Rovers had next to none of the ball in the first five minutes and were nearly behind on nine minutes.
Brandon Kavanagh probably feels aggrieved not to start more for Derry but he did here and might have given City the lead, Rovers badly exposed, Sean Hoare making a rash move forward. However, Kavanagh just dragged his shot wide – and that was as good as it would get for the Foylesiders.
Gary O’Neill’s absence (injured) was felt by the champions, who had no initial foothold whatsoever in midfield.
For all of that, Liam Burt, Dylan Watts and Graham Burke were among the Rovers subs.
Quick thinking by Richie Towell and his powerful throw had a race between Kenny and Brian Maher 13 minutes into a terrific first half; Maher decided to pull out, but Kenny could not muster the power to reach the goal line.
Rovers missed a superb chance at the end of the first quarter, Kenny’s sweet pivot and pass giving Towell more than enough time to score; Maher deserves credit for narrowing his options quickly and blocking.
Gaffney had endured a rather frustrating opening 26 minutes – and then he turned down the option to tee up Kenny, running across the pitch outside the box and caressing a shot low into the corner.
There was some controversy on 32 minutes. Ryan Graydon went over after a Pico Lopes challenge and seemed hurt but got a yellow for simulation in the box.
A mesmerising bit of Rovers passing on 37 minutes underlined their dominance and this would ask plenty of a Derry side down key players.
Jordan McEneff was then brought in for Graydon.
Gaffney then dragged a shot wide, emphasising the tide’s switch.
Dummigan was really lucky not to get booked on his old team-mate Byrne but Kenny did pick up a yellow for a challenge that would prompt some referees to give a red card – when for most of the history of football it would not be a free at all.
Hoops coach Glenn Cronin is from the old school and had several goes at the Derry bench, roaring that Kenny “got the ball”.
Rovers seemed a little less in control by the hour mark. Shortly after Gaffney showed his class and forced a corner, and Burke and Burt were introduced.
Burke soon combined knowingly with the excellent Kavanagh but was probably wrong to trust his right foot – this the chance of any note in the second half and on 70 minutes.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Hoare, Lopes, Cleary; Farrugia (Gannon 45), Towell (Watts 77), Poom, Byrne (Burt 64), Kavanagh; Kenny (Burke 64), Gaffney (Power 77).
Derry City: Maher; Dummigan, S McEleney, McJannett; Boyce Graydon, O’Reilly, Dummigan (Connolly 66), Diallo (C Kavanagh 75), Doherty; B Kavanagh; McGonigle.
Referee: Rob Hennessy.
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