League Report: Shamrock Rovers 4 - 1 Finn Harps

From Dave Donnelly at Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers took a giant step towards securing European football for another season with a resounding 4-1 win over Finn Harps at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night.

Goals from Gary Shaw, Brandon Miele and a second-half double from substitute James Doona sent Rovers on their way before BJ Banda grabbed a late, late consolation for Harps.

With Derry City the subject of a shock 5-0 defeat at home to Bray Wanderers, the result moves the Hoops four points ahead of the Candystripes in third place with just five games remaining.

Rovers manager Stephen Bradley made four changes following the EA Sports Cup defeat to Dundalk with Luke Byrne, Lee Grace, Cameron King and Gary Shaw returning.

Harps boss Ollie Horgan made three changes of his own to the side beaten 2-1 by Sligo Rovers last week, with Shane Blaney, Danny Morrissey and Jonny Bonner coming into the side.

Ronan Finn had scored his first goal for the club, and outstanding long-range effort, in the first meeting of these sides back in April.

And it was very nearly deja vu within the first minute of this contest as Harps lost the ball in midfield and the captain rustled the side netting with a well-struck effort.

The Hoops should have led three minutes later as Finn stood up a cross for Shaw and he seemed certain to open the scoring only for Ciaran Gallagher to somehow wrench the ball out of the g

Harps did look threatening on the rare occasion they did get forward, and some excellent hold-up play and cross-field pass by Eddie Dsane created a shooting opportunity for Caolan McAleer, which was blocked.

Paddy McCourt had lit up the previous week's action with an outstanding solo goal in the defeat to Sligo, and another scything run into the box was only halted by an inch-perfect tackle from Roberto Lopes.

Trevor Clarke went close with a ferocious ball across the Harps goal before Miele drove a shot inches past the post as the Hoops turned the screw.

And the resistance broke just before the half-hour as Simon Madden's cross-field ball found Cameron King, and he turned the ball back inside for Shaw to poke home from inside the six-yard box.

Rovers hit the post woodwork twice before the break, as Miele cracked the post after a one-two with Shaw, before Shaw himself broke through only to again his the right-hand upright.

Miele got his name on the scoresheet six minutes after the break with a superbly-taken free kick after Clarke had been hacked down 20 yards out.

Gallagher did brilliantly to deny Shaw at full-stretch, but he was picking the ball out of his net again 20 minutes from time.

James Doona had replaced the injured Clarke and he wasted little time getting his name on the scoresheet, twisting and turning in the box before drilling the ball low into the net.

And he doubled his tally five minutes later from a similar position as he picked up fellow sub Ryan Connolly's pass and firing another past the hapless Gallagher.

BJ Banda pulled one back two minutes from time with a superb driven effort that the Hoops' underworked keeper Tomer Chencinski couldn't handle, but Rovers cruised to victory.

Shamrock Rovers: Tomer Chencinski; Simon Madden, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace, Luke Byrne (Dean Carpenter 66); David McAllister, Ronan Finn, Cameron King (Ryan Connolly 70), Trevor Clarke (James Doona 61), Brandon Miele; Gary Shaw.

Subs not used: Kevin Horgan (gk), David Webster, Dean Dillon, Sean Boyd.

Booked: None.

Finn Harps: Ciaran Gallagher; Tommy McBride, Damien McNulty, Shane Blaney, Mark Timlin; Gareth Harkin, Paddy McCourt, Jonny Bonner (Ibrahim Keita 59), Caolan McAleer (BJ Banda 81), Danny Morrissey (Liam Walsh 86); Eddie Dsane.

Subs not used: Peter Burke (gk), Ethan Boyle, Ryan Finn.

Booked: Caolan McAleer (35), Ibrahim Keita (70), Paddy McCourt (77).

Referee: Robert Hennessey.

Attendance: 1,500 (estimate).

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Gary Shaw (Shamrock Rovers).