League of Ireland: Shamrock Rovers and Shels in dramatic Tallaght battle; Pat's lead Bohs
Today at 14:00
It's another busy evening in the League of Ireland, with two Dublin derbies in store as champions Shelbourne head to Tallaght to face Shamrock Rovers and a resurgent Bohemians play host to St Patrick's Athletic.
Elsewhere, league leaders Drogheda United travel to face Galway United, while managerless Waterford take on Derry City.
Keep up to date with all the Premier and First Division action is it happens here.
Key updates
67' GOAL! Level once again in Tallaght! Shamrock Rovers 2 – Shelbourne 2 Having just gone behind, Stephen Bradley's men clap back in an instant as Jack Byrne delivers a corner to the back post. It's kept alive and falls to Lee Grace who gets it out of his feet and crosses it low into the six-yard box for Dan Cleary to poke home. Incredible scenes!
65' GOAL! Shels turn it around! Shamrock Rovers 1 – Shelbourne 2 Unbelievable scenes in Tallaght as Damien Duff's men score almost a carbon copy goal. Kameron Ledwidge crosses from the left and Mipo Odubeko - the Tallaght native - is the man to keep his composure and tap home under pressure.
51' GOAL! Shels restore parity in style! Shamrock Rovers 1 – Shelbourne 1 What a beaultiful goal and what a dream substitution from Damien Duff as Ali Coote pulls Shels level in an instant. Jamie Norris crosses from the left and Harry Wood breaks it down for Coote to make the run from deep and poke the ball past Ed McGinty! Unbelievable considering Shels didn't manage a shot on target in that entire first-half!
Drogs in front at Eamonn Deacy Park! Galway United 0 - Drogheda United 1 Galway almost took the lead a handful of minutes earlier but Luke Dennison came to his side's rescue. All of a sudden on the stroke of half-time, the ball drops to Darragh Markey on the edge of the box. The March player of the month reacts first and drills it into the bottom corner.
Waterford find the opener at the RSC! Waterford 1 - Derry City 0 It's not the prettiest but Waterford fans won't care in the slightest! Conan Noonan's corner leads to a goal-mouth scramble which is eventually poked home by Darragh Leahy in the 40th-minute.
28' GOAL! Matt Healy puts Rovers ahead! Shamrock Rovers 1 – Shelbourne 0 It's not a great look for Shels' shot-stopper Conor Kearns as it looked like a tame enough strike. Jack Byrne rolls it to Matt Healy outside the box who uses Mark Coyle's frame to curl it around the Shels' captain and into the net. It didn't look particularly powerful - perhaps Kearns' vision was obstructed by Coyle as he attempted to block the strike.
Saints take the lead at Dalymount! Bohemians 0 - St.Patrick's Athletic 1 After some neat play, Axel Sjoberg's cross from right is blocked by a hand in the box. Match referee Damien MacGraith doesn't hesitate and points straight to the spot. Chris Forrester shows his experience as he sends Kacper Chorazka the wrong way from the resulting penalty.
League of Ireland Premier Division (all kick-offs 7.45pm) (69 mins)
Bohemians 0 - St.Patrick's Athletic 1
Galway United 0 - Drogheda United 1
Waterford 2 - Derry City 0
Shamrock Rovers 2 – Shelbourne 2
League of Ireland First Division (all kick-offs 7.45pm) (69 mins)
Bray Wanderers 3 - Kerry 0
Cobh Ramblers 3 - Finn Harps 1
Treaty United 0 - Athlone Town 0
Wexford 0 - UCD 0
Just now
67' GOAL! Level once again in Tallaght! Shamrock Rovers 2 – Shelbourne 2
Having just gone behind, Stephen Bradley's men clap back in an instant as Jack Byrne delivers a corner to the back post.
It's kept alive and falls to Lee Grace who gets it out of his feet and crosses it low into the six-yard box for Dan Cleary to poke home. Incredible scenes!
Virgin Media Sport on Twitter / X
𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐄!Dan Cleary pokes it in! 2-2! What a game in Tallaght! pic.twitter.com/1cnldXjVbF— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) April 25, 2025
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4 minutes ago
65' GOAL! Shels turn it around! Shamrock Rovers 1 – Shelbourne 2
Unbelievable scenes in Tallaght as Damien Duff's men score almost a carbon copy goal.
Kameron Ledwidge crosses from the left and Mipo Odubeko - the Tallaght native - is the man to keep his composure and tap home under pressure.
14 minutes ago
57' Close! Jack Byrne has been a thorn in Shels' side tonight. The midfielder swivels and aims for the top-right corner - just over the bar. Conor Kearns was rooted to the spot.
15 minutes ago
GOAL! Bray Wanderers 3 - Kerry 0 (51 mins)
What a night at the Carlisle Grounds for Danu Kinsella-Bishop who makes it a hattrick just six minutes into the second-half!
GOAL! Cobh Ramblers 3 - Finn Harps 0 (49 mins)
Things get even better for the Rams as Luka Le Bervet picks out Cian Bargary to extend the host's lead.
18 minutes ago
51' GOAL! Shels restore parity in style! Shamrock Rovers 1 – Shelbourne 1
What a beaultiful goal and what a dream substitution from Damien Duff as Ali Coote pulls Shels level in an instant.
Jamie Norris crosses from the left and Harry Wood breaks it down for Coote to make the run from deep and poke the ball past Ed McGinty!
Unbelievable considering Shels didn't manage a shot on target in that entire first-half!
Virgin Media Sport on Twitter / X
𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐓!!! 🔴🔴Ali Coote on the pitch a matter of seconds and he's equalised!What a substitution! #LOI | @shelsfc pic.twitter.com/kqdHO0ipGz— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) April 25, 2025
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21 minutes ago
49' A double substitution from Damien Duff as Sam Bone and Kerr McInroy are replaced by Ali Coote and Sean Gannon.
22 minutes ago
47' Chance! Shamrock Rovers resume where they left off before the interval as a poor kick-out from Conor Kearns is picked off.
Michael Noonan finds himself in on goal from an acute angle - Kearns does well to make amends with a strong left leg to save the day.
24 minutes ago
46' The second-half gets under way in Tallaght as Shels get the ball rolling once again. No changes to either team after the break.
27 minutes ago
WATCH: Half-time analysis from Keith Tracey on the Virgin Media panel
League of Ireland on Twitter / X
Post-match analysis at half-time in Tallaght. pic.twitter.com/0INUlcZjO3— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) April 25, 2025
33 minutes ago
GOAL! Cobh Ramblers 2 - Finn Harps 0 (45+2 mins)
A second goal of the game for the Rams as David Bosnjak turns provider just before the half-time whistle as Barry Coffey taps in.
37 minutes ago
Half-time: Shamrock Rovers go into the break with the advantage! Sean O'Connor has his say...
Half-time here at Tallaght and it's Rovers on top so far. Graham Burke and 16-year-old Michael Noonan threatening the Reds back line but Matt Healy broke the deadlock before the hour mark with his first goal for the club.
The shot seemed to catch out Kearns, as the ex-Ireland U-21 man celebrated with a golf swing in front of an ecstatic south stand. Rovers could have double it just before the break there as Roberto Lopes headed just wide.
Shels started well but local lad Mipo Odubeko has yet to test really test Ed McGinty so far.
39 minutes ago
Drogs in front at Eamonn Deacy Park! Galway United 0 - Drogheda United 1
Galway almost took the lead a handful of minutes earlier but Luke Dennison came to his side's rescue.
All of a sudden on the stroke of half-time, the ball drops to Darragh Markey on the edge of the box. The March player of the month reacts first and drills it into the bottom corner.
43 minutes ago
45' Some neat work between Graham Burke and Dylan Watts wins a free for Rovers right on the edge of the box as Evan Caffrey commits the foul. The wall comes to Shels' rescue.
There will be 2 minutes of additional time in Tallaght.
45 minutes ago
Waterford find the opener at the RSC! Waterford 1 - Derry City 0
It's not the prettiest but Waterford fans won't care in the slightest! Conan Noonan's corner leads to a goal-mouth scramble which is eventually poked home by Darragh Leahy in the 40th-minute.
League of Ireland on Twitter / X
Darragh Leahy puts Waterford in front! 🔵The Blues take the lead approaching the break. pic.twitter.com/Mc4AYMIKMw— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) April 25, 2025
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48 minutes ago
40' Another nervy moment for Conor Kearns! Jack Byrne goes long and Kearns races from his line to try and claim it. The 26-year-old keeper is beaten to it by Micheal Noonan, but Shels scramble to clear their lines before Noonan can capitalise on the half-open goal.
52 minutes ago
34' A decent effort to reply from Shels as Harry Wood crosses to the back post for the lurking Mipo Odubeko. Dan Cleary manages to get a vital touch on it to concede the corner which yields nothing for Damien Duff's men.
58 minutes ago
28' GOAL! Matt Healy puts Rovers ahead! Shamrock Rovers 1 – Shelbourne 0
It's not a great look for Shels' shot-stopper Conor Kearns as it looked like a tame enough strike.
Jack Byrne rolls it to Matt Healy outside the box who uses Mark Coyle's frame to curl it around the Shels' captain and into the net.
It didn't look particularly powerful - perhaps Kearns' vision was obstructed by Coyle as he attempted to block the strike.
Virgin Media Sport on Twitter / X
𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐘! ☘️Rovers lead in Tallaght. Conor Kearns got this one all wrong! #LOI pic.twitter.com/MwH1iRGZwo— Virgin Media Sport (@VMSportIE) April 25, 2025
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Today 03:14 PM
Saints take the lead at Dalymount! Bohemians 0 - St.Patrick's Athletic 1
After some neat play, Axel Sjoberg's cross from right is blocked by a hand in the box. Match referee Damien MacGraith doesn't hesitate and points straight to the spot.
Chris Forrester shows his experience as he sends Kacper Chorazka the wrong way from the resulting penalty.
League of Ireland on Twitter / X
Chris Forrester from the spot! ⚽The Saints take the lead in Dalymount. pic.twitter.com/kRsVQhHLmJ— League of Ireland (@LeagueofIreland) April 25, 2025
External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties.
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Irish Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Joey O'Brien says Qarabag experience will stand to Shelbourne going to Croatia
Joey O'Brien insists Shelbourne can only benefit from their Qarabag experience as they prepare to drop into the Europa League. The League of Ireland champions bowed out of the Champions League on Wednesday night after a 1-0 defeat in Azerbaijan, losing the tie 4-0 on aggregate. Shels were always up against it over the two legs but vastly experienced campaigners Qarabag needed a John Martin own goal to win the second-leg in Baku. O'Brien's charges will now compete in the Europa League and they face Croatian side HNK Rijeka after they too bowed out of the Champions League on Wednesday. The two-time Croatian champions and seven-time Cup winners lost 3-1 to Ludogorets in Bulgaria and finished with nine men after extra-time. Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . Rijeka will have home advantage against Shels next Thursday, but will now be without suspended duo Gabrijel Rukavina and Toni Fruk. Shels have the green light to play the second-leg at Tolka Park, rather than Tallaght Stadium following upgrade works. And were they to win the tie, they would not only progress to the Europa League playoff but also guarantee themselves a Conference League league stage campaign. Shelbourne players at full-time in their Champions League defeat to Qarabag in Azerbaijan (Image: ©INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic) O'Brien said: 'I watched the first-leg (of Rijeka v Ludogorets) last week and it was a really tight game and it's going to be quality players again. 'But as I said to the boys, these are the games you want to be involved in. You want to be coming to places like this, putting your best foot forward and looking to impress. 'There's been a lot of positives against Qarabag, but there's a hell of a lot of learning in getting beat. Especially that understanding that if you give up poor chances and switch off for a moment they will make you pay, and when you get your chances you must take them.' O'Brien feels that playing in the stifling 29 degree heat of Baku will also stand to his team as they prepare to play in Croatia next Thursday. '100% it will,' he continued: 'Coming away and playing in these conditions will be the case in the next few weeks, playing in these temperatures. 'I've been in this situation myself as a player where you can't catch a breath but you need to bite down on the gumshield and stay at it. 'I'm very proud of the lads, but we're not going to celebrate being beat 4-0 either because that's not the standard that's been set at this football club.' Shelbourne's Kerr McInroy in action with Qarabag's Kady (Image: ©INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic) Shelbourne are back in league action on Saturday night, away to a resurgent Sligo Rovers, and O'Brien has laid down the challenge to his players on their return. 'Sligo is the next game and it's the biggest game for us,' he said. 'If you want European nights like this again next year, and be playing at this level again, you have to take care of business in your league.' While Qarabag ran out comfortable 3-0 winners at Tolka Park a week ago, O'Brien was much happier with Shels' performance in Baku. The former Ireland international explained: 'Coming to these places you have to give up possession sometimes and I thought our shape out-of-possession was really good. 'They didn't have many chances and the goal was just a sloppy ball off a second phase before half time that was a killer. The lads were probably thinking they had done enough to go in level at half-time but at this level if you switch off for one moment they will make you pay. 'But in the second-half I felt we went back out and attacked it again. We changed our shape a little bit and we had a great chance to make it 1-1 and we didn't take it. 'That's been the story of the tie.,' added O'Brien on Shels TV. 'They have taken their chances and the ones we created, we didn't take them.'
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Stephen Bradley recommends drastic change be made to League of Ireland calendar in order to aid European hopes
STEPHEN BRADLEY praised those who helped save Shamrock Rovers 20 years ago. But the Hoops boss insisted those on the outside should not be allowed to hinder the club's progress as he again called for a shorter off-season. Two decades ago, fans came together to buy the club after it had been placed in examinership with debts of €2.6million, much of which were written off. And as he prepared for the second leg of their Conference League tie against St Joseph's, a dead rubber He said: 'Coming from Jobstown, there were groups coming knocking at the door, 'Buy a brick', and a lot of them would have been from my road. 'What people have done for the club should never be forgotten and I'm sure it won't be. Read More On Irish Football 'I know stories of people putting their house down as guarantees, people paying wages out of their mortgage and that wasn't just a one-off, that was a regular occurrence. 'I hope those people are enjoying where the club is at the moment and the success that this team has brought them. They deserve it. "They're the ones that fought to keep the club going and get into Tallaght. What we're doing today isn't possible without what those people did to make the club survive and then thrive. 'I hope they're sitting back and are proud of what they've achieved.' Most read in Football The club's biggest feat to date was to reach the knockout stages of the Conference League earlier this year. But that brought what had already been a bugbear for Bradley into even sharper focus — the length of the League of Ireland off-season. Man Utd & Newcastle in £40M Tug-of-War for Bundesliga Wonderkid! There were 15 weeks between the final league game in 2024 and the first in 2025, high by international standards. Rovers played five European fixtures in between. It will be an even bigger issue if MOVE WITH THE TIMES And Bradley believes full-time clubs have to be facilitated rather than catering to those worried about the cost of an extended season. He said: 'The days of part-time teams in the First Division having a voice on how the Premier Division operates should be long gone. "It's ridiculous. We either want to be serious about taking the league forward or we don't. Having such a long off-season is silly. It's not going to be great, the weather, either end, that's fine. 'Everyone in the Premier Division this year is full-time. I understand that might change with Cork if they go down. But the mentality in the league has to be wanting to get better. 'I understand the financial implication but what do we want to do? Do we want to just stand still or do we want to go forward? 'The conversation has to be had about extending the season. I don't understand why it's not happening. There's scope there to go early February or late November, to move it at both ends. 1 Bradley has been banging this drum for a while 'One of our problems last year was playing in European games deep and no competitive games in between. But it's not just because of us last year. I've been saying it for years.' There is a further fixture issue for Rovers as if two Kosovan clubs, Ballkani and Prishtina, progress this evening, their league game against Derry City — scheduled for Sunday — will not go ahead. Instead, they would be playing Ballkani on Tuesday. Bradley said: 'It's a bit of a strange one in terms of planning for the players. 'We just have to focus on the game, play it and see what comes.'
Irish Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
20 years ago a group of fans got together and saved Shamrock Rovers
For James Nolan, tonight is another 'pinch yourself' moment. Shamrock Rovers are 4-0 up from the first-leg in Gibraltar and are all but guaranteed another €375,000 payment from UEFA, on top of what they have earned so far by just qualifying for Europe. Last season they earned north of €7million after their historic campaign took them to the last-32 of the Europa Conference League. It's a far cry from 20 years ago this week, when the Hoops' survival depended on the say-so of Justice Frank Clarke, and the agreement of their creditors - and when Nolan, along with almost 400 other fanatical supporters, became an accidental owner of his beloved football club. 'When you take a step back, you actually have to pinch yourself,' says Nolan, still a Shamrock Rovers director and a familiar face around Tallaght Stadium. 20 years ago, with a considerable contribution from Australian-based supporter Ray Wilson, the '400 Club', a hastily assembled bunch of supporters from all walks of life, helped raise €450,000, enough to convince Justice Clarke to wipe debts of over €3.3million. The 400 Club, which actually numbered closer to 300 at the time, these days is known as the Shamrock Rovers Members Club, and is populated by around 870 Hoops fans, all part-owners of the Premier Division leaders. 20 years ago, between contributions, fundraisers and a pop-up loan service in a hotel conference room, the 400 Club just about scraped together €225,000 to match Wilson's contribution. Nolan, and some of the other key figures at that time, have this week recalled the events of two decades ago, when the shutters almost came down on Shamrock Rovers Football Club. 'When the club went into examinership, Neil Hughes (the court appointed examiner) asked myself and Dave Carpenter to go onto the board of the football club during examinership,' Nolan recalls. 'The 400 Club's role at that time was to help fund the club through examinership, because there was a large cashflow shortfall. 'The examiner was going to source a number of investors to come in, and the 400 Club was due to get our money back at the end of the process. That was the agreement. 'However, all the potential investors, at one point I think there were nine of them, one by one they fell, and we were the last man standing, if you will. 'So it came down to ourselves and Ray Wilson essentially to take over the club.' Click this link or scan the QR code to receive the latest League of Ireland news and top stories from the Irish Mirror. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . Mark Lynch is still the club's head of communications. He recalls: 'We didn't set out to own the club out of examinership, it just happened. 'So, we put in a bid and the judge accepted the package, and the rest is history.' Jonathan Roche was appointed chairman of the club he had supported all his life when the fans took over. He remembers how there were doubts that they would make it. 'At the end of examinership, I just remember Neil Hughes thinking it wasn't going to work,' says Roche. 'But we persuaded him, we managed to raise the money that convinced him we could do it.' (Left to right) Mark Lynch, Noel Byrne and Jonathan Roche (Image: INPHO/Aleksandar Djorovic) The 2005 season was in full swing at the time, so not only did the regular outgoings of a Premier Division campaign had to be paid, but money had to be found to satisfy the court that future commitments could be met. Raising the funds was a huge challenge. But throughout the 400 Club membership, there was a wide range of skillsets. Lynch recalls: 'We gathered money from all areas. We got lump sums, direct debits, cash… money from all ages, Rovers fans of all descriptions. 'We hosted an event at Wynns Hotel on Abbey Street, we had a trustee who worked in Bank of Ireland, and they set up a loan facility. 'So we had a queue of people coming in and taking out loans with Bank of Ireland at our gathering in the conference room at Wynns Hotel.' According to Nolan: 'We were to open the doors at 12 o'clock, but when we got to Wynns Hotel at half-eleven, there was already a queue. 'We couldn't get over the fact that people were willing to come in and help us that way. That story encapsulates the spirit of togetherness that we had at the time, and the sacrifices that people were willing to make.' Roche adds: 'That was the standout one for me, Wynns Hotel, and the stream of people coming in to take out a loan. 'We were lucky it was the Celtic Tiger era and Bank of Ireland were still giving out loans within the hour to people who were coming in and signing up, just normal fans.' Rovers emerged from examinership with a deal that saw them pay preferential creditors 4.25 percent of what was owed, and unsecured creditors 2.12 percent. Revenue received around €40,000 out of almost €1.5million owed. But had Rovers gone out of existence, Roche argues, the money pumped into state coffers by their efforts and successes at home and in Europe would never have arrived. Nor would the memories created in the 20 years since. Shamrock Rovers fans before the Europa Conference League game against Molde in February (Image: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo) One fundraiser at the time was a 'Brick in the Wall' idea, which saw fans pay to have their name engraved on a brick that would be laid at Tallaght Stadium. At the time, the ground was just an ugly pile of concrete flanked by an overgrown field. Now, it's a stunning 10,000-seater arena. 'We actually just delivered on that recently,' says Nolan. 'The amount of people who have come to us since that Brick in the Wall display has gone in, especially in relation to people who have passed away… I've been to funerals where it has been mentioned in the church, how great it is that they still have that connection and how much that brick means to them. 'When you are in the thick of it, sometimes you don't appreciate these things. 'Being able to deliver something like that, it just means so much to so many people, and sometimes you don't realise it. 'People will always have a connection to people, friends and relatives, who have passed on through Shamrock Rovers.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
