Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Longford Town
Longford Town have been a thorn in Shamrock Rovers side all season - but still have nothing to show for it.
For the third time this year, the champions floored the Premier Division’s bottom side with an injury-time winner.
It is a habit that Rovers have mastered to perfection in other games too, even if it leaves their fans in a flap in the stands.
Liam Scales - on his 23rd birthday - picked up where Sean Gannon and Rory Gaffney left off against Longford earlier in the campaign with the late, late show.
The Celtic, Southampton and Norwich City target climbed high to power an unstoppable header in off Lee Steacy’s far post at the death.
With St Pat’s thumping Dundalk 4-1 at Oriel Park, it was important that Rovers stayed in step with their title rivals.
Because for so much of the second-half, it looked like Rovers would come up short as nothing was falling their way.
But Scales’ bullet header means the Hoops continue to enjoy a three-point advantage with a game in hand.
Hoops boss Stephen Bradley said: "We deserved it on the second-half, in the first half we were poor and slow. It looked like we had played Thursday as everything we did was slow and we let them get into their positions.
"But we moved the ball a lot better in the second half, their keeper made three or four unbelievable saves and we hit the post. But we kept believing and kept trusting and our second half performance deserved the win."
Bradley added: "We felt before we played (in Europe) on Thursday that this was the bigger game of the week.
"Sunday afternoon, you can take your eye off the ball and the first half was about getting our rhythm going, the second half was a lot more like us and we were excellent, it was a great header by Liam."
And Longford boss Daire Doyle was 'sickened' that history repeated itself.
Doyle said: "We didn't feel there should have been six minutes added on as it's 30 seconds per stoppage.
"It's the second game we've played against Shamrock Rovers where six minutes was added on and they score in the last minute
"It's disappointing but we have to contend with it and for it to happen three times in a row is sickening."
Rovers were the better side throughout the opening half and yet visiting goalkeeper Lee Steacy wasn’t overworked and was equal to whatever came his way.
Longford were fortunate that Paddy Kirk wasn’t red carded for his early tackle on young Aidomo Emakhu.
The match-winner in Thursday’s European win over Albanin champions Teuta was upended and left in a heap but Kirk only saw yellow.
But the incident jolted Rovers into life as Graham Burke flashed a low drive wide before sending another straight at Steacy.
Richie Towell’s free-kick was also down Steacy’s throat while Aaron Greene was always stretching to meet Emaku’s cross.
And the youngster’s own shot on the turn soon after was always rising as Longford found it tough to build momentum.
They never worked Alan Mannus up to then, although striker Rob Manley was bearing down on goal until birthday boy Scales slid in with an expertly-timed challenge.
But Rovers were crying out for creativity so Dylan Watts, Danny Mandroiu and Rory Gaffney were introduced just after the hour, with Ronan Finn following shortly after.
Yet the end product remained an issue for the champions who dominated the ball - aside from an Aaron Dobbs shot at Mannus - but for no reward.
Green and Burke both went close late on before Scales sealed the points with a remarkable headed effort from Sean Hoare’s deep cross after a quick throw in.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus 6; Hoare 6, Lopes 7, Scales 7; Murphy 6 (Finn 66, 6), McCann 5 (Watts 61, 6), Towell 5 (Mandroiu 62, 6), Kavanagh 6 (Grace 89, 5); Burke 6, Greene 6, Emakhu 6 (Gaffney 62, 6).
LONGFORD TOWN: Steacy 6; O’Brien 6 (Robinson 63, 5), McDonnell 7, O’Driscoll 7, Kirk 6; McNally 6 (J Manley 85, 5), Zambra 6, Dervin 7, Grimes 6 (Chambers, 63, 5); Dobbs 6 (Warfield 73, 5), R Manley 6.
Referee: R Hennessey
