Watts goal for Shamrock Rovers sees title race go down to final day

The Hoops knew travelling to the Co Louth venue that they needed a win to keep the pressure on Shelbourne going into the final day when Damien Duff’s side are away to Derry City, with five in-a-row chasing Rovers at home to Waterford FC in Tallaght Stadium.

Oriel Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground of Stephen Bradley’s side in recent years with just two wins and seven defeats in their last 10 visits prior to this.

However, having soaked up plenty of pressure from the hosts in the first half, Rovers eventually got the job done with a second big goal from Watts in the space of nine days after he had also scored an 84th minute winner in his side’s 1-0 win away to Drogheda Utd last Friday week.

While it was the visitors who needed the win, their only effort of the opening half came on 12 minutes when Watts fired well over from range as he attempted to catch Ross Munro off his line following a scuffed clearance from the Scottish goalkeeper.

There were more nervous moments at the other end with one of them coming on the quarter hour mark when the ball dropped for John Mountney in the box, whose shot was deflected wide.

From the resulting corner, Daryl Horgan’s delivery was kept alive by Mountney with Jad Hakiki, who was a Shels player up until a few months ago, crashing a volley off the underside of the crossbar.

The hosts threatened an upset again in the third minute of stoppage time when Kenny played Mahon in only for the former Bohemians winger to be denied by a fine stop from Leon Pohls, who sprung to his right to push the shot away.

Rovers should have been ahead within 54 seconds of the restart when half-time substitute Graham Burke pulled the ball back for Johnny Kenny just a few yards out but with the goal gaping he somehow pulled his effort wide.

The breakthrough did arrive on 58 minutes with what was Rovers’ first shot on target as Watts volleyed to the bottom left hand corner from the right of the box under the legs of Sean Keogh and Hayden Cann after Burke had kept a Jack Byrne corner alive.

To their credit, Dundalk almost replied immediately with Mayowa Animasahun’s header from Horgan’s free kick being pushed away by Pohls just a minute later.

Jon Daly’s side battled for an equaliser after that but a 13th blank at home of the season ensured it was Rovers who took the points, with the reigning champions - who haven’t led the table at any stage this season - dreaming of finishing the year on top once again.

Dundalk: Munro; Mountney, Animasahun, Cann, Keogh; Dervin (Garbett 76) (McGill 83), Oostenbrink (Leonard 83); Horgan, Hakiki (O’Kane 66), Mahon (Keane 66); Kenny.

Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary, Lopes, Grace; Farrugia, O’Neill (Burke HT), Watts, Honohan (Burns HT); Byrne (Poom 85), Mandriou (McEneff 55); Kenny (Greene 63).

Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).