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Shamrock Rovers 6 Derry City 1
Graham Burke was the star of the show with a remarkable four goals to help Shamrock Rovers to an emphatic and long overdue victory over Derry City at Tallaght Stadium.
Rovers had a desperately poor record against their visitors in recent years, this their first win in eight outings, six of which they had lost.
In an open first half, Stephen Bradley’s side rode their luck to go in a goal to the good at the interval.
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Though Derry started much the better, it was their goalkeeper Ger Doherty who had to make the first save of the game, batting Seán Kavanagh's 19th-minute drive round a post.
Kavanagh then put Brandon Miele through on goal five minutes later only for his fellow midfielder to slice well wide.
And though Derry continued to pose Rovers problems, Hoops conjured a sublime lead goal on 41 minutes.
Captain Ronan Finn’s delightful dinked through ball found the run of Burke who smashed his left-foot shot past Doherty.
Dan Carr blazed over from Burke's low cross two minutes after the break before Kavanagh, who trained at Derry pre-season before joining for Rovers, made no mistake in doubling the lead on 51 minutes.
Collecting Sam Bone’s pass, the winger calmly cut past a defender before placing the ball into the corner of the net for a composed finish.
Two goals in as many minutes ensured Rovers’ victory.
Finn blasted home with a low drive from just outside the edge on 67 minutes.
A poor clearance from Doherty was then punished as Miele set up Burke to shoot calmly to the corner of the net.
Substitute Ronan Hale got Derry's consolation on 73 minutes, driving home following Rory Patterson's through ball.
Two minutes later Burke got his hat-trick when tapping home Trevor Clarke’s low cross before then racing clear onto substitute Gary Shaw’s pass to add his fourth goal in stoppage time.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Horgan; Boyle (Lopes, 68 mins), Grace, Gilchrist, Clarke; Bone; Miele, Finn (McAllister, 73 mins), Burke, Kavanagh; Carr (Shaw, 72 mins).
DERRY CITY: G Doherty; Cole, Toal, Logue (Ronan Hale, 58 mins); McDonagh (McDermott, 28 mins), Rory Hale (Kayode, 83 mins), McEneff, Low, B. Doherty; Patterson, Curtis.
Referee: Tomas Connolly (Dublin).
Sligo Rovers 1 Waterford 2
Courtney Duffus scored a sensational 90th-minute winner as high-flying Waterford beat Sligo Rovers at the Showgrounds to join Cork City on top of the Airtricity League Premier Division.
The striker fired home against the run of play to cancel out Adam Morgan’s earlier leveller for the home side.
Gavin Holohan had given the visitors a deserved half-time lead, but Morgan’s third goal in four games looked enough for a draw before the late intervention.
Holohan superbly headed home the opener on 34 minutes, after Bastien Hery's pass opened up space for full back Rory Feely to swing in a perfect cross for the former Galway midfielder to finish.
Rovers were much improved in the second half, and were deservedly right back in the tie, when Morgan fired home at the back post following a scramble in the box.
But Duffus had the final say, crashing home a right foot effort from the edge of the box to inflict a third home defeat on the Bit O’ Red.
SLIGO: Beeney, Cretaro, Callan-McFadden, McClean, Waters, Pinceli, Cawley, McAleer (Kerrigan, 90 mins), Wixted (Roy, 55 mins), Moorhouse, Morgan (Morrison, 79 mins).
WATERFORD: Vigouroux, Feely, Browne, Webster, Barnett, Aborah (Puri, 60 mins), Keegan, Hery (Comerford, 76 mins), Holohan, Walsh (Daly, 64 mins), Duffus.
Referee: N Doyle.
Bohemians 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 1
Dean Clarke earned St Patrick’s Athletic their second away win of the season at Dalymount Park as a penalty hoodoo once against cost Bohemians.
Last time out on their home patch, Eoghan Stokes squandered the chance to nick a late point from the spot against Derry City and it was the turn of Keith Ward to miss from 12 yards this time around.
Just five minutes had elapsed when Oscar Brennan went sprawling from the slightest of touches by Kevin Toner and Rob Hennessy pointed to the spot.
Captain Derek Pender entrusted Ward with the task but his low effort struck the foot of the post and rebounded back into the hands of Barry Murphy.
Bohs should have taken heed of Conan Byrne’s threat when he squared for Dean Clarke to poke wide just moments before they forged ahead on 14 minutes.
Despite the warning, the Gypsies were exposed again for the breakthrough goal.
When Byrne's delivery spun off Christy Fagan, Bohs allowed Simon Madden claim the loose ball and he spotted Clarke unmarked at the far post for a simple tap-in.
Although Ryan Brennan was denied a second soon after for Pat's, back came Bohs before the break with a couple of half-chances to level.
A block by Murphy’s legs prevented Toner from an embarrassing own-goal and the visiting goalkeeper was also alert to stoop low on his line and save Dinny Corcoran’s header.
Instead of building on that momentum, the home side struggled to gain a foothold in midfield in the second half and were fortunate not to concede again.
While Jamie Lennon's powerful shot was comfortably saved by Shane Supple, he couldn't get near Toner's 65th-minute header and was thankful for Paddy Kavanagh's clearance on the line.
The Bohs goalkeeper was kept active, as Liam Buckley’s side continued to press, and his fingertip save on 68 minutes from Darragh Markey’s header ensured Bohs remained in the game.
However, with Corcoran short of service in attack, they were unable to find a goal for the second game running.
BOHEMIANS: Supple; Pender, Casey, Cornwall, Leahy; Brennan, Buckley; Devaney (Kavanagh, 60 mins), Ward (Watts, 70 mins), Stokes; Corcoran (Manley, 60 mins).
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Murphy; Madden, Toner, Desmond, Bermingham; Lennon (Markey, 52 mins); C Byrne, R Brennan, Garvan, Clarke (Turner, 71 mins); Fagan (Keegan, 77 mins).
Referee: Rob Hennessy (Limerick).
Limerick FC 1 Bray Wanderers 0
Danny Morrissey proved a super sub for Limerick as they edged out Bray in a largely poor affair at the Market's Field before an attendance of 948.
Morrissey was brought into the action after 76 minutes and five minutes later his glorious header gave his side the points.
Manager Tommy Barrett also brought on former under-21 Dutch international Barry Maguire for his first outing after 69 minutes but he was outshone by Morrissey's header.
The first half was a pretty dull affair with the best chance falling to Darren Dennehy for the home side, and he headed to the net, only for the goal to be ruled out for a foul on goalkeeper Aaron Dillon in the process.
Bray's best chance of a goal came after 69 minutes. Aaron Greene raced clear down the right and he got himself into position to shoot but Brendan Clarke in the Limerick goal made a superb save.
A goal then and it might have been a different outcome but once they fell behind the visitors did have not sufficient time to get back on terms.
LIMERICK FC: Clarke, Kelly, Whitehead, Coleman (Maguire, 69 mins), Wearen, Duggan, Ellis (Morrissey, 76 mins), Tracy, Kearns, Fitzgerald (Cantwell, 90 mins), D Dennehy.
BRAY WANDERERS: Dillon,McKenna, Kenna, Douglas, Lynch, Sullivan (Noone, 89 mins), McCabe, O'Conor, Coughlan (Kelly, 79 mins), Galvin ( Pender, 85 mins), Greene.
Referee: A Buttimer (Cork).
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