Liam Burt bags first Shamrock Rovers goal to down Cork City

Champions Shamrock Rovers were pushed all the way in their well-earned 2-1 win over Cork City thanks to goals from Graham Burke and Liam Burt either side of Barry Coffey's free-kick to seal their first win over the Rebel Army this season.

With Dublin rivals Bohemians and St Patrick’s Athletic closing the gap with their victories on Friday night, the pressure was on Stephen Bradley’s troops to get all three points in what looks a thrilling title race on the horizon.

It took until 20th minute in for the real first chance at goal when skipper Ronan Finn’s low cross fell kindly into the path of Graham Burke, whose side-footed strike came back off the foot of the post, with some of the home faithful thinking it was in.

Man of the match Burt was next to go close having been slipped in by Johnny Kenny’s clever touch around the corner, but was sharply denied by Oliver Byrne.

Goalscoring had been a problem for the Hoops in recent weeks - with their last goal from open play coming back on 26 June when Rory Gaffney notched the winner against Derry City - but the pressure finally told just before the half hour mark when Burke showed quick feet to fashion a yard of space before hitting a rare right-footed effort into the far corner from 25 yards out.

To their credit, the visitors who didn’t let the heads drop from the setback and, following Finn’s foul on ex-Hoops man Aaron Bolger, got themselves level moments later. Coffey’s beautifully struck free-kick flew into the net.

Rovers flew out of the traps and got back in front four minutes in through an amazing solo effort from the pacey Burt who dropped the shoulder, selling two City defenders before sweeping home for his first goal for the Hoops in his first league start.

Just after the hour