Shamrock Rovers successfully defended their SSE Airtricity League Premier Division title on Friday with a 3-0 win over Finn Harps in Tallaght, with three more matches left in the season.
Rovers knew that all they needed was three points to win their first title in front of a home crowd since 1994 (at the RDS), however a draw would have also seen them take the title depending on results elsewhere in the league.
having won the title last year in an empty stadium due to COVID-19, the victory in front of a nearly-packed Tallaght stadium added to the spectacle for Rovers fans.
Heading into the match, Rovers manager Stephen Bradley did not rule out the possibility of an upset, as the Harps had already left Tallaght with a point this season, and beat the Hoops Rovers 2-1 in Ballybofey last month.
The Harps, on the other hand, were looking to keep themselves out of the relegation zone with at least a draw. Having had relative success against the Hoops, they would have felt confident that they would bring the challenge to the eventual champions.
With just four minutes played, Danny Mandroiu put the hosts into the lead. Beating the goalkeeper, he still had a lot to do to find the back of the net, but he did so to bring the home fans to life.
As green smoke filled the stadium due to the Rovers fans' flares, Mandroiu added a second to his tally with 20 minutes left of the first half.
With the title all but secured, Rovers were not content to sit back on their lead. They challenged the Harps' box a number of times throughout the second half, but with an hour played, scores remained unchanged.
While they were looking to spoil the party for the Hoops, Harps never really fired a shot on Rovers throughout the match.
With two minutes left on the clock, and with the game wrapped up, substitute Aidomo Emakhu added a third goal for the hosts to confirm their dominance over the match and their League of Ireland defence.
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