IT'S NOT exactly the dawn of a new era, but Shamrock Rovers are flickering back to life after a second success for the new management team of Alan O'Neill and Terry Eviston.

Mark Reid's 62nd-minute goal was all that separated the sides at the finish of a contest at the RDS yesterday which illustrated why these two teams are currently in the wrong half of the Premier

"It was always going to be a battle. But my players gave me 100 per cent and the three points puts daylight between ourselves and those teams in the relegation zone," said goalkeeper-manager O'Neill.

Rovers played all the pretty football early on but the failing in front of goal that signalled the recent departure of Ray Treacy was again much in evidence.

Twice the unmarked Sean Francis was wide off the target with headers created by openings from Ray Carolan and Karl Gannon. But the long suffering Rovers supporters have come to accept such inadequacies as part of life these days.

Drogheda were well organised in defence but they, too, lacked the cutting edge with only a long-range effort from Bobby Browne to trouble O'Neill in the opening 45 minutes of boredom.

Trevor Vaughan did go close for the Boynesiders before Reid grabbed the all important goal. When goalkeeper John Grace failed to hold an Eoin Mullen cross from the left, the Drogheda defence only partially retrieved the situation. Mullen again whipped in another defence splitting cross which was headed home at the far post.

Goals are so rare for Rovers these days the neutral observer could have been forgiven for thinking that the Premier Division title itself had been claimed such was the intensity of celebration by the green and white bedecked supporters.

It was only when they found themselves behind that Drogheda addressed some urgency to thee situation. And to their credit they did give Rovers a few anxious moments in the final five minutes. First, John Ryan headed just over and then substitute Michael Harte shot into the side netting.

But these moments of excitement were a rarity on an afternoon when the roar of the crowd at the schools' cup rugby match between Blackrock and CBS Monkstown at nearby Donnybrook made one wish for the power of bilocation.

That won't worry O'Neill. The reconstruction job is underway at the RDS, both on and off the field. It's winning that counts at, the moment and Rovers are seventh in the table - a modicum of respectability has been achieved.