LEAGUE OF IRELAND Shamrock Rovers 2 Drogheda United 0: DESSIE BAKER scored the first and laid on a sublime second goal before hailing Shamrock Rovers' "championship-winning form".
A seventh successive win stretched Rovers’ unbeaten league run to a staggering 22 games as they regained their two-point lead at the top with four games to play.
“I think it was important we won, especially with Bohs winning on Friday night. That put a bit of pressure on us,” said Baker.
“It wasn’t a great game. We did what we had to do, got the three points. That was the main point of the night. The record stands for itself. We’ve only been beaten once away from home this season. It’s championship winning form.
Drogheda right-back Scott Gibb’s mistake after six minutes allowed Graham Barrett’s pass run through to Baker who drove a low shot past Paul Skinner for his eighth goal of the campaign.
Second-bottom Drogheda’s task deepened on 23 minutes when defender Conor Kenna was sent off for tripping Barrett as he ran through on goal.
Skinner saved well with his feet from Sean O’Connor before Rovers’ front two combined again for a terrific second goal on 43 minutes.
A nonchalantly cushioned header from Baker played Barrett in and he took the shot first time to toe the ball past Skinner for his first goal for the club.
In a dour second half, Barrett clipped the crossbar while Skinner saved with his feet to thwart substitute Padraig Amond late on..
“Sometimes the 10 men affects the team with 11 as much as the team with 10, and at times we did things without the tempo or the urgency we would normally do them with,” said Rovers’ manager Michael O’Neill.
“We created plenty of chances in the first half and we got the second goal through Graham Barrett which we were delighted with. I thought he had a good night.
“Seven wins on the bounce, and 22 games unbeaten, those statistics speak for themselves. The players deserve an enormous amount of credit.”
Nine points from safety, Drogheda’s best hope of staying up looks to be a play-off.
“I don’t think we are going to catch the team that finishes out of the play-off zone,” agreed their manager Alan Mathews. “We have to try and stay in the league.”
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Sullivan, Sives, Price, Cahill; Bradley, Rice (Bermingham, 60 mins), Robinson, O'Connor (Chisholm, 72 mins); Barrett, Baker (Amond, 69 mins)
DROGHEDA UNITED: Skinner; Gibb, McNally, Kenna, R. Clarke; B. McGill (Martin, 67 mins), Chambers, Crowley, E McGill (Ryan, 80 mins), Gaynor; Duffy.
Referee: Dave McKeon(Dublin).
