Latest news with #ShamrockRovers
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Stephen Bradley hails John McGovern for ‘hitting the ground running' after first Shamrock Rovers goal vs St Joseph's
STEPHEN BRADLEY praised John McGovern for being pitch perfect on his Conference League debut after scoring his first goal for Shamrock Rovers. The 22-year-old came off the bench to score the third in a 2 John McGovern scored as Shamrock Rovers beat St Joseph's 4-0 Credit: Salva Castizo/Sportsfile 2 Stephen Bradley praised his impact Credit: Salva Castizo/Sportsfile It was his first goal since joining the club from Dungannon Swifts in May. And Bradley said: 'I think he showed real glimpses, and he has done since he came in, of why we wanted him here, why we worked hard to get him here. 'There are still bits that he needs to learn and tidy up on. How we play, how we press. 'He will get that but for someone to come in and hit the ground running , like he has, has been great to see and long may that continue.' Read More on Shamrock Rovers While Rory Gaffney had given Rovers the lead in the first-half at the Europa Point Stadium, it was in the second-half that they pulled away. And it was the League of Ireland leaders' bench press that paid dividends. Josh Honohan which directly led to Danny Mandroiu doubling their lead. McGovern made it 3-0 within two minutes of his introduction on 71 minutes from a cross from fellow replacement Michael Noonan. Most read in Football And Byrne scored the fourth from the edge of the box with 15 minutes to go. Bradley added: 'We have seen how important the bench has been this year and again tonight it was evident, and it is going to be evident going forward. Shamrock Rovers snap up Northern Ireland Under-21s goal-getter as Stephen Bradley gives exciting verdict 'There are players on the bench, there are players at home that feel they deserve to start and that's how it should be when you have a strong group, but it is very important, when they come on, that they do their business and contribute and take us up a level. 'The subs did that tonight which was really pleasing to see.' With his side all-but through, Bradley confirmed plans to shuffle the pack when St Joseph's come to Tallaght on July 31 with a crunch league game against Derry three days later. New signing Connor Malley will not be one of those due to having been registered too late following his loan move from Sligo , but will debut in a friendly against Ballymena on Saturday.
Irish Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rovers players hailed after record win for reaction to pre-match plan disruption
Stephen Bradley has hailed his Shamrock Rovers players for using their experience in Europe - after their pre-match plans were ripped up. The Hoops were due to train on Wednesday on the astroturf pitch that hosted Thursday's Europa Conference League second qualifying round against St Joseph's. It is customary for a visiting team to do this ahead of all European ties, in order to get familiar with their surroundings. However, the Hoops couldn't secure a suitable flight time that would have given them the opportunity to do a session on the unfamiliar surface, which Bradley described post-match as 'sticky'. It also robbed them of a chance to acclimatise themselves to the heat, which necessitated water-breaks midway through each half on Thursday. That didn't stop Rovers from claiming a record-breaking 4-0 win - their biggest ever margin of victory away from home in Europe. 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 . It leaves them all but sure of progress to the third qualifying round - and Bradley believes the performance and result is down to the experience his players have gained in two league and group stage campaigns in the last three seasons. 'I think we are a different team,' he said. With the two league or group campaigns, whatever you want to call it, has definitely helped us grow and mature and understand it. 'For example, the flight times were tricky coming out, so we couldn't train on the pitch last night. We got here late, so we trained at home. That's something new for us that we haven't experienced. 'So the players saw the ground and the pitch for the first time before kick-off. If you are not an experienced team and a team that has been around, that can throw you. 'But we had a chat with the players before we left and we told them the plans, and they were fine, no problem. And we come here and we take care of business. 'I think that shows the level of maturity within the group and experience and understanding of what it takes to win in Europe. You have got to be ready for everything and the players were ready.' Bradley hailed his super subs, with Rovers' third and fourth goals coming from John McGovern less than two minutes after his introduction, and Jack Byrne. 'We know how important the bench is, we know how important the squad is, and the subs that came on today were excellent,' he said. 'They gave us real quality and energy, and obviously a couple of them scored, which is really important.' He was delighted to see McGovern, a recent arrival from Dungannon Swifts, score first Rovers goal. 'I think he showed real glimpses and he has done since he came in of why we wanted him here, and why we worked hard to get him here,' said Bradley. 'There are still bits that he needs to learn and tidy up on, how we play, how we press, little timings. 'But he will get that. But for someone to come in and hit the ground running like he has has been great to see. Long may that continue.' Rovers' comprehensive win means Bradley can rotate his squad next week for the second-leg, with a big League of Ireland game against Derry City coming just three days later. 'The scoreline will definitely play a part in the team selection,' he said. 'Also, there's players who deserve the opportunity and some just back from injury who need to get up to scratch. 'We'll definitely be moving things around on Thursday, with Sunday and the following Thursday in mind. We'll be shuffling it.' Meanwhile, Rovers' third round opponents will likely be Ballkani of Kosovo, after they claimed a 4-2 win over Maltese side Floriana in their first-leg. 'We did watch (that game) on the way over, so we got to see it. Ballkani were good. They won the game quite convincingly in the end so I'd imagine they will finish it off,' said the Hoops boss. 'It looks like we'll be heading to Kosovo in two weeks' time.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Independent
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Independent
‘Delighted' Stephen Bradley hails Hoops for mature display after record European victory in Gibraltar
Stephen Bradley hailed his Shamrock Rovers side for taking care of business as a ruthless second-half display against St Joseph's saw the Hoops win 4-0 and take a giant step towards the Conference League third round. Three goals in the space of eight minutes after the break via Danny Mandroiu, John McGovern and Jack Byrne killed the first leg tie in Gibraltar with Bradley praising his players' maturity in dealing with the tricky local conditions as well as some disruption to their pre-match preparations as a result of flight changes. Related topics Shamrock Rovers
Irish Examiner
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Stephen Bradley: 'The scoreline will definitely play a part in our team selection for the second leg'
Europa Conference League, second round, first leg: St Joesph's 0 Shamrock Rovers 4 (Gaffney 13', Mandroiu 67', McGovern 73', Byrne 75') It was a sunshine stroll for Shamrock Rovers in Gibraltar on their European return as three second-half goals allows them to plan for a third-round tie in a fortnight. Last season's surge through the snakes and ladders Uefa structure entailed 16 matches, taking the Hoops into the knockout stages of the Conference League in February. Their tilt at replicating that run begins from a different and direct point but they looked every bit a team on a mission by dismantling St Joseph's by the midway point of the tie. Although Rovers were slow to build on Rory Gaffney's 13th minute opener, occasionally presenting avenues for the minnows to threaten such as a header from Manuel Sánchez that marginally missed the target, three goals in the space of eight minutes puts the outcome beyond doubt. Presuming there's no dramatic collapse on home soil in next Thursday's return at Tallaght, Stephen Bradley's side will march on to face either Malta's Floriana or Ballkani of Kosovo, with the latter leading 4-2 from Thursday's first leg. A deluge of Rovers goals stemmed from the contribution of substitutes introduced just past the hour. Excellent skill by Jack Byrne on 67 minutes, three minutes after coming on, led to a crossfield pass which Josh Honohan latched onto before rifling a shot off the post. Danny Mandroiu converted the rebound, albeit thanks to a wicked deflection. Two other subs, Michael Noonan and John McGovern, combined for the third, with the latter sweeping home from close range from a left-wing cross by his teenage strike partnership. Byrne completed the rout two minutes later in trademark style, controlling a pass from Honohan in his stride on the edge of the box and curling a right-footer into the far corner beyond Bradley Banda. First leg cushions are a rarity, something Bradley intends availing of, as their priority to remain top of the table and regain their title resumes against Derry City four days after the second leg. 'The scoreline will definitely play a part in our team selection for the second leg,' admitted the Hoops boss. 'Also, there's players who deserve the opportunity and some just back from injury who need to get up to scratch. We'll definitely move things around on Thursday, with Sunday against and the following Thursday's third Conference round in mind. We'll be shuffling it.' He expects to be facing Kosovan opposition for the right to reach the Conference playoffs. 'We watched Tuesday's first leg on our way to Gibraltar and Ballkani were very good,' he surmised. 'They won the game quite convincingly in the end. I'd imagine they will finish it off and we'll be heading to Kosovo in two weeks' time. ' Their centre-forward is dangerous. The left winger too was very good, creating three of the goals, but as always, they have weaknesses as well as strengths. We feel that we can hurt them.' ST JOSEPH'S: B Banda; E Jolley (L Volz 29), J Paul, G Barba, A Martinez (J Forjan 58); M Sánchez, Juanma, F Alvarez, A Armental (M Gibson 58); P Rodiguez; A Rey (H Amadou 86). SHAMROCK ROVERS: E McGinty; L Grace, P Lopes, D Cleary; D Grant (D Nugent 80), M Healy, D Watts (Aaron McEneff 64), J Honohan; D Mandroiu (J McGovern 71), G Burke (J Byrne 64); R Gaffney (M Noonan 71). Referee: Matthew MacDermid (Scotland)
BreakingNews.ie
12 hours ago
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Shamrock Rovers ease to win over St Joseph's in Conference League qualifier
Shamrock Rovers eased to a 4-0 win over St Joseph's in Gibraltar in the first leg of their second-round Conference League qualifier. Stephen Bradley's side took the lead after 13 minutes through Rory Gaffeny, which they took into the interval. Advertisement In the second half, they took control and doubled their lead through Daniel Mandrolu. John McGovern made it three, before Jack Byrne ensured they would have a comfortable lead to bring back to Dublin next week. Elsewhere, it is currently 0-0 between St Patrick's Athletic and Nomme JK Kaiju.
