Shamrock Rovers thump Sligo Rovers to get four-in-a-row party going

The football was almost irrelevant as Shamrock Rovers partied to a historic fourth league title-in-a-row at a packed Tallaght Stadium.

There was no shortage of pageantry and ceremony in Dublin 24 as a record 8,021 crowd paid tribute to the side who – despite their worst start in recent seasons – became the first side to match the famous four-in-a-row winning Hoops team of the 1980s.

Sligo threatened to upset the night when Kailin Barlow scored in the eight minute. However, normal order resumed as Graham Burke, Dylan Watts and Aaron Greene allowed the Hoops to finish in style, despite a late Fabrice Hartmann consolation.

The Bit o' Red were hardly here by choice, the obligatory opponents for a match that seemed more like a testimonial game. John Russell's contract as Sligo manager is up this season, but if he is to stay this game surely served as a useful evaluation of who he wants to retain from this struggling side.

Jubilation was in the air long before kick-off, however, there were also thoughtful shows of respect for Alan Mannus and Ronan Finn who both brought an end to their Shamrock Rovers careers tonight.

Despite Cork City’s snub in Turner’s Cross on Monday, Sligo Rovers dutifully formed the guard of honour to applaud the Hoops players and their families prior to kick-off.

And the game was only two minutes old before the stadium was back on its feet to mark the departure of Finn, who couldn’t play through an ankle injury sustained last week. Calling time on his career, 41-year-old Mannus got the same treatment when he was replaced by Leon Pohls in the second-half.

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