Competition: League of Ireland Premier Division
Date: 2 November 2024
Result: Shamrock Rovers 2 – 1 Waterford
Tickets: €20 (adults), €8 (kids)
Attendance: 9,522
Game/ Experience Rating: ☆☆☆☆
The Game: This was very much the ‘finale’ of the League of Ireland top tier season, with Shamrock Rovers needing a win at home to Waterford and for Shelbourne to drop points away at Derry to take yet another title. Honestly, I’d marginally have preferred to go to Derry, but ticketing and the length of the journey (an 8 hour round trip requiring time off work) had me down in Tallaght.
This had a cracking atmosphere, plenty of pyro from the Shamrock Rovers fans and plenty of that niggling noise from the Waterford away end, who seemed to enjoy their defeat given its ultimately being of no consequence for Rovers (that’s football, I guess). Waterford were decent and created chances, but never really looked like getting something, especially after Rovers hit their second early in the second half. It ended a fairly comfortable 2-1. All eyes, then, on Shelbourne, and an extended period of 0-0 in Derry meant that Rovers were top of the ‘as is’ league from the 4th minute to when Shelbourne scored a late winner in the 85th.
Even after that, rumours went around Tallaght of a Derry equaliser – I haven’t seen anything to suggest why – prompting a loud reaction from the Rovers fans. Personally. I’m quite glad Shels won, though I kept that quiet. It’s not good for any league for one club to dominate. I do suspect, though, given their deterioration in the second half of the season, that it might not be repeated next year.
The ground: We went in the North Stand for the first time, and apart from a few idiotic kids throwing things down from the back row at everyone in front of them, it’s a decent spot. The attendance of over 9,500 is by some distance the largest I’ve seen for a League of Ireland league match.
Extras: There’s a new shop in the North Stand, we arrived too late to check it out.
Assorted asides: There’s still the Europa Conference League, which may even see Rovers go to the knock out stages the way it’s going (fingers crossed!). But I’ll miss the League of Ireland.
My totals for the year so far:
Games: 11. Home wins: 3 Draws: 5 Away wins: 3
Goals: 27. Home goals: 13. Away goals: 14. Goals per game: 2.45
VIEW ALL GROUNDHOPPING POSTS HERE.
