Rovers win Dublin derby to close the gap at the top

Shamrock Rovers were clinical when it mattered most to edge past St Patrick's Athletic and move to within three points of league leaders Derry City.

Rory Gaffney scored the only goal of the game in the 51st minute, finishing off a move that was ruthless in its simplicity with a tidy cushioned header inside the six-yard box.

This was a night the champions had to be efficient rather than spectacular to send most of the 7,424 crowd at Tallaght Stadium home happy.

The travelling St Pat’s support now haven’t seen their side win in four games – picking up just two points – and when Gaffney peeled off the shoulder of centre back Joe Redmond to meet Danny Mandroiu’s pin-point cross, they looked shorn of ideas to force an equaliser.

Rovers were value for the victory, delivering the only moment of quality in the final third and making it count.

For the opening half an hour it seemed as if both sides were content to ease into the Easter double header of fixtures.

Both will be back in action on Monday and there was no rushing either set of players.

Build up play was lethargic and so was the movement. A fierce Jason McClelland shot from distance whizzed over the Rovers bar in the 28th minute and that stirred the senses.

Three minutes later and Pat's should have been in the lead. A sharp counter attacking move started with Darragh Burns nutmegging Sean Kavanagh on the run as he weaved into the Rovers half.

And it ended with Eoin Doyle slicing what looked like a tap in at the back post well wide after Billy King’s shot from the left had been parried into his path.

Suddenly, the space which had always been there was being utilised by more incisive forward play. Rovers had a serious shout for a penalty turned down by referee Paul McLoughlin in the