Graham Burke scored a cracking free-kick as champions Shamrock Rovers showed no signs of a hangover from Wednesday night’s title celebrations as they clinically outplayed Derry City at Tallaght Stadium.
The victory sees Rovers remain unbeaten for the season as they now head to Tolka Park to face Shelbourne on Monday hoping to seal the tag of ‘Invincibles’.
Defeat ends Derry’s aspirations of Europe and leaves Declan Devine’s side needing a result away to bottom side Cork City to avoid potentially ending up in the relegation play-off place.
Though Derry started positively, Rovers, with four changes from Wednesday’s 0-0 draw with St Pat’s, had half chances through Dean Williams, Burke and Aaron McEneff before surviving a right let-off at the other end on 34 minutes.
Danny Lafferty’s lazy pass across his own goal gifted the ball to Jack Malone with the ever alert Lopes salvaging the situation by deflecting the shot out for a corner.
The relief switched to the other end five minutes later.
Burke combined with Williams to curl a shot with the outside of his left foot off a post.
Jack Byrne’s follow-up shot then struck Burke in front of goal before goalkeeper Peter Cherrie hacked the loose ball out of danger.
It was more of the same from Rovers on the restart, Byrne picking out McEneff on the left to ghost past Malone only to slide his shot right across the face of the goal and wide.
Burke then rifled a shot into the sidenetting before giving Rovers their deserved lead on 57 minutes.
Lafferty was clumsily tripped by Conor Clifford on the corner edge of the area. Burke left Cherrie flat-footed as he stepped up to blast a direct free kick to the net off his powerful left foot.
Substitute Greene added Rovers’ second goal in the first minute of stoppage time, latching onto Aaron McEneff’s pass to cut by Conor McCormack and drill an angled shot past Cherrie.
Mannus; Grace, Lopes, Scales; McEneff, Watts (Nugent, 75); Finn (Murphy, 64), Byrne, Burke (Greene, 64), Lafferty (S. Kavanagh, 64); Williams (Oluwa, 75).
Cherrie; Cole (Bruna, h-t), Toal, McJannet, Coll; McCormack, Clifford (Dunwoody, 68); Malone, Thompson (Harkin, 68), Hammill (Akintunde, 68); Figueira (Ferry, 80).
Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).
