7 days ago
Shamrock Rovers' Rory Gaffney: We'd back ourselves even without a 10-point lead
After scoring their winning goal away to Galway United back in early April, Shamrock Rovers striker Rory Gaffney said he'd be worried if he was one of the Hoops' competitors.
Gaffney reiterated that sentiment on Sunday after his brace of goals delivered a 2-0 victory over Derry City, a result which pushed their lead out to 10 points with 10 games remaining in the season.
Their bid for a historic five-in-a-row came a cropper last year after a chronic early summer injury crisis, which saw them fall miles off the pace.
A late-season surge wasn't enough to reel in the wire-to-wire league leaders Shelbourne, who clung on to seal their first title in 18 years in dramatic circumstances.
Drama may be in shorter supply in the 2025 run-in, however, with Stephen Bradley's side now overwhelming favourites to claim a fifth league title in six years and a 22nd in the club's history.
"We spoke in Galway in April and I said I'd be worried if I was the other teams," Gaffney told RTÉ Sport's John Kenny after Sunday's statement win over Derry.
"We were ahead of the curve. We're ahead of the curve again. We've 26 games played and we're on 52 points. Two points a game. That normally wins the league.
"You don't want to be arrogant or disrespectful to any other team. But we'd back ourselves if everyone was starting on no points with 10 games to go.
"So, why wouldn't we back ourselves with 10 games to go and a 10-point head start, plus our goal difference."
"You don't want to be arrogant or disrespectful to any other team. But we'd back ourselves if everyone was starting on no points with 10 games to go."
In the eyes of many observers, Sunday's 2-0 win over Derry slammed the door shut on the prospect of a close title race, even if Bradley sought to play down the idea.
Following a strong burst of form in June, Tiernan Lynch's side had emerged as the likeliest threat to Shamrock Rovers but they've dropped points in the last few rounds and fell 11 points off the pace and behind Bohemians after the defeat on the weekend.
Gaffney opened the scoring shortly after half-time, meeting Josh Honohan's cross at the back post.
His second was more eye-catching, chasing Dylan Watts' ball down the left wing, cutting inside Alex Bannon and drilling a shot in off the far post.
He said: "Wattsy gave me a look to say 'get on your bike'. Made the run down the side, it was a lovely ball.
"I like to chop inside. He's (Bannon) a new defender to the league so he mightn't have seen that one before. He might be aware of it next time."
Sunday's haul took Gaffney's tally of goals in the league to eight for the season.
The 35-year old Tuam-born striker, who won the 2022 PFAI Player of the Year award, missed the vast majority of the 2024 campaign with injury and was forced to sit out the early part of this season.
"I just tried to prove my fitness in January," he said.
"I had a long year last year. I basically missed all of last season. I didn't want to be driving down the road from Galway, breaking down again and struggling to get to the level I needed to.
"The only thoughts I had was trying to be fit and seeing if I could get back to the level that you need to be at to be a professional footballer in this league.
"I'm delighted with how I'm feeling. I haven't missed a training session since I signed this season.
"I haven't played a whole lot at the start of the season but I'd be doing a whole lot of extra training.
"I've played one 90 (minute game) this season. I don't normally go past 60 or 70 minutes.
"The last thing you want to do is pick up an unnecessary injury. Look at the bench that we have, the youth and the speed we have to come in, Michael (Noonan) and John (McGovern), I'm only happy to pass the baton onto one of them."
In a commanding position in the league, Shamrock Rovers have two more rounds to navigate to the return to the Conference League league phase, which they qualified from so impressively in 2024.
This week, they head for Kosovo for the first leg of their tie with Ballkani, with the winners facing the team to progress from the Larne-Santa Clara fixture.
"It's a step into the unknown," he said
"I don't think anyone has played a team from Kosovo before. I know a couple of their players were playing for Shkupi and Celje, teams we've come up against before. I'm sure they'll be good, they always are.
"You don't know what you're going to get so there's always that bit of uncertainty in the first leg.
"Over there, the weather is going to be warm. Thankfully, it's a grass pitch, not an astro this time.
"We'd back ourselves that if we turn up, we'll give a good account of ourselves and be there or thereabouts. If we bring them back to Tallaght, we'll be a match for anyone."
