Shamrock Rovers 2 Longford Town 0: "Rovers are back, Rovers are back," sang the jubilant home support celebrating their team's first Premier Division goals in 16 months. It proved the perfect tonic for those affiliated with a club still homeless and, once again, left awaiting the High Court decision on the completion of their Tallaght stadium.
Chants about winning the league were certainly ambitious and a touch unrealistic but Pat Scully's young side will pose many a conundrum to opponents this season. Deprived of a number of injured players, Rovers were more than comfortable mixing it once again with Premier opponents, albeit a Longford side shorn of top players and reduced to nine men by the end.
Neither side started particularly well, stray passes and mis-timed runs punctuating the frantic opening. But Rovers soon found their rhythm.
Having proved themselves in the lower league last season, Scully's players are particularly eager to etch their mark in this division, and their youthful exuberance shone through. Indeed, they defied a poor Tolka Park surface with quick, slick passing that after time paid dividends.
Once the helter-skelter pace of those opening exchanges waned, the home side teased Longford with inventive passing, intelligent running and, tellingly, scintillating pace. Despite deploying a five-man midfield, Alan Matthews's players spent more time chasing Rovers jerseys than they would have hoped for. And yet Rovers' early finishing was more often than not disappointing.
When new recruit Robbie Kelleher was played in over the top by fellow newcomer Barry Ferguson, he showed neat touch and control but shot nervously at goalkeeper Shay Kelly when a more patient approach would have served better.
Despite their shortcomings, Longford still threatened on occasions when afforded space.
Former Rovers players David Mooney and Mark Rutherford linked well in the box and but for Jamie Duffy's crucial intervention would have taken a surprise lead, goalkeeper Barry Murphy scrambling frantically across his line.
That opportunity was Longford's best of the opening half, but it spurred on their opponents. Confident in the knowledge they were dominating in every department, Rovers turned the screw.
Dave O'Connor was superb cutting off the wing, and Dave Cassidy was a willing accomplice in midfield, probing at every opportunity.
Kelleher did not have long to wait to atone for his earlier miss. Ten minutes before the break, Duffy's ball to Andy Myler deflected off a Longford defender into Kelleher's path and the striker comfortably steered it home past Kelly.
Rejuvenated thereafter, Kelleher improved as an attacking force and doubled his side's lead eight minutes into the second half. Capitalising on an innocuous dropping ball outside the box, he fired first-time high into the net.
Longford stuck to their task late on but John Martin's skewed shot summed up their frustrating evening. And whatever ambitions they harboured of an unlikely comeback were thwarted when Martin and Damien Brennan were dismissed late on for second yellow and straight red offences respectively.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Pender, Ferguson, Price, Clarke; Duffy, Danny O'Connor, Cassidy, Dave O'Connor; Kelleher, Myler. Subs: Purcell for Myler (70), Barrett for Danny O'Connor (79), Colbert for Kelleher (90).
LONGFORD TOWN: Kelly; O'Sullivan, Brennan, Doherty, Prunty; Freeman, Martin, Doyle, Rutherford, Martin; Mooney. Subs: Wexler for Doyle (66), Reilly for O'Sullivan (89). Booked: Martin (75), Doherty (86). Sent off: Martin (77), Brennan (90).
Referee: A Buttimer(Cork).
