The Hoops ended a fantastic season with a defeat in Richmond Park but overall there can be lots to celebrate this season not least qualification for the Europa League next season.

There was a fine round of applause at the beginning of the game in appreciation for Mícheál Ó Brolacháin (aka Rennie) whose untimely death shocked all Rovers fans. 

Rovers started well and a good move in the 2^nd minute saw Twigg and Chisholm combine to send Cahill down the left but his shot from just outside the box was blocked. Rovers had most of the play in the early stages without troubling the Pats goal but Twigg just failed to connect with a Kavanagh cross on 17 minutes.

In the 19^th minute a high ball into the area saw Barrett and Twigg just fail to get a shot on goal. Two minutes later a Chisholm free-kick went dangerously across goal but wide of Clarkes right hand cross-bar.

St Pats first chance fell to Fitzpatrick on 25 minutes but his attempted lob over Mannus went over the bar. Cahill raced past Lynch on 29 minutes but his decent cross was cleared. At the other end Cahill was on hand to clear in front of his goal from a Gavin header.

The home side took the lead on 39 minutes when Ryan Guy powered a header into the net after a corner was not properly cleared. A double save from Mannus just before half-time denied the Saints a second when he first saved a shot by Byrne and then followed up to deny Guy from close range.

The Hoops upped the tempo after the break and Clarke had to tip a Sives header over the bar. A great run by Cahill set up Kavanagh to run past two defenders but his attempt on goal was deflected just over the bar.

Bobby Ryan forced Mannus into another save on 60 minutes from a shot just outside the box. On 67 minutes Gary Twigg knocked a cross into the path of Sives but he dragged his shot wide of the post. Shane Robinson just failed to connect with Baker’s cross on 70 minutes as Rovers pressed for an equaliser.

The home side had a chance when Quigley set up Guy but he fired over the cross-bar. Rovers continued to press forward and had a number of good crosses into the Pats area in the remaining minutes but the home defence held out to record their first win of the season over the Hoops.

All this seasons match reports are dedicated to the memory of Mícheál Ó Brolacháin who done so much to promote the development of SRFCTV to record  the exploits of the players of Shamrock Rovers FC.