Shamrock Rovers inflict more misery on Finn Harps to stretch lead at the top to four points

Neil Farrugia scored his first goals in two years with a well-taken double helping to down hapless Finn Harps at Tallaght Stadium.

The result and performance was just the tonic Shamrock Rovers would have wanted ahead of their trip to face Gent in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.

A clean sweep of four wins over Harps this season sees Stephen Bradley's champions move four points clear at the top of the Premier Division table ahead of Derry City with a game in hand.

Following UCD’s win over Dundalk on Friday night, defeat leaves Harps bottom.

Though Harps, who’ve never won in Tallaght, had the first shot on goal from Filip Mihaljevic’s tame effort, Rovers dominated from the start and were ahead after eight minutes.

Sean Kavanagh and Aaron Greene both might have got efforts on target before Rovers carved Harps open all too easily.

Jack Byrne fed Andy Lyons whose drive was merely parried away by goalkeeper James McKeown. Farrugia nicked the loose ball off the toe of a sluggish Gary Boylan to confidently blast his shot off his weaker right foot to the roof of the net.

It marked the winger’s second goal for Rovers and his first over an injury-plagued two years.

Byrne was guilty of slicing off target as Harps were stretched again on 20 minutes, Dan Cleary’s superb diagonal ball to Lyons setting up the opportunity.

Ethan Boyle then eventually brought a galloping run into the box by the marauding Farrugia to an end with a fine tackle as Rovers maintained their onslaught.

The visitors had another let off from Rovers’ first corner of the game on the half hour, Lyons’ first time volley from Byrne’s delivery arrowing straight into the hands of McKeown.

Despite their supremacy, Rovers availed of a soft penalty to double their lead six