Shamrock Rovers turbo-charged their hopes of reaching the next stage of the UEFA Conference League after coming from behind to beat Welsh champions The New Saints 2-1 at Tallaght Stadium.
Propelled into the third match-week of the competition's revamped format by an unbeaten start following a home draw with APOEL and a 4-1 hammering of Larne in Belfast, Stephen Bradley’s side knew getting to the seven-point mark in the League Phase would go a long way towards giving the SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division runners-up a realistic chance of securing a place in the top 24 teams that advance to the play-off round.
That objective was briefly dented by Jordan Williams’ 14th minute goal but the Hoops battled back before half-time via goals from Johnny Kenny and Dylan Watts.
Rovers made two changes to the side that beat Larne two weeks ago, with Neil Farrugia returning from suspension and the club's Player of the Season, Watts, starting - Graham Burke and the injured Danny Mandroiu dropping out of the eleven.
The visitors, meanwhile, initially set up in a 4-4-2 featuring some names familiar to League of Ireland audiences in the shape of former Derry City players Josh Daniels and Rory Holden as well as ex-Dundalk loanee Daniel Williams.
It was the home side that made a confident, front-foot start from the opening whistle as Johnny Kenny received possession down the right channel inside the box, but the Sligoman powered his shot wide of the near post.
Bradley’s men continued to dictate the early pace, penning TNS back, with Aaron McEneff combining with Watts before flashing another effort just off target from the opposite side of the area six minutes later.
However, TNS served notice of the threat they possessed, especially from wide areas, in their first concerted foray into Shamrock Rovers territory in the 14th minute.
Jordan Willams was fed down the left flank before arcing over a cross that met the head of prolific forward Declan McManus whose header forced an excellent reflex save from Leon Pohls, the Hoops goalkeeper clawing the ball away from danger.
But Rovers’ reprieve would not last long. TNS winger Ryan Brobbel dug out a cross from the right which McManus flicked on to Jordan Williams who swept the ball beyond Pohls and into the back of the net to make it 1-0 to the Welsh side.
Rovers looked to recapture the initiative they had built up before that setback, with McEneff stinging the palms of TNS keeper Connor Roberts on 17 minutes from outside the box.
Watts lashed another shot from distance well off target three minutes later.
However, the emphatic response the hosts were seeking was forthcoming, arriving in the 23rd minute much to the delight of the vast majority of the 6,108 Tallaght crowd.
Watts played a ball from deep into Farrugia whose deft touch around the corner played in Kenny and the striker bustled his way around his marker, into the box, before arrowing a left-footed strike off the crossbar and past Roberts to make it 1-1.
The equaliser seemed to lift Rovers and three minutes later, right wing-back Darragh Burns jinked between two defenders and onto his favoured left boot with his shot blocked before it could cause real menace.
But TNS offered another reminder of their potential to hurt Rovers again when Brobbel's cut-back into the box from the right and Josh Daniels’ tee-up to McManus saw Pohls forced into a save low to his right.
As the game ticked beyond the half hour mark, Rovers had reasserted control, albeit without fashioning an opening, although Daniel Cleary did come close to connecting with a deep inswinging cross from Burns at the far post.
But seven minutes before the break, Burns did turn provider from that right flank again, his left-footed delivery inch-perfect for Watts to meet it and side-foot in from point blank range to give Shamrock Rovers the lead.
With the wind in his and the Hoops' sails, Watts charged forward from midfield although his ensuing shot from outside the box lacked the power to unduly trouble Roberts.
Holding that 2-1 lead from the opening '45, Rovers stayed on the front foot with Honohan having a sighter from distance on 46 minutes that flashed wide of the near post after purposefully cutting in onto his right foot.
Markus Poom tested Roberts in the TNS goal four minutes afterwards with another long-range effort, this time on target.
The pace of the game then dropped somewhat with Rovers satisfied with moving the ball patiently.
An injection of impetus then gave Farrugia the space to carve out a cross or shot but the winger's miscued effort nestled into Roberts’ arms.
On 58 minutes, he drifted to the opposite side of the pitch to arrow a shot just off target.
Rovers continued to set the agenda and a left-wing Honohan cross almost met the head of Kenny but for a crucial intervention from his marker.
Then in the 62nd minute, Watts thought he had his second goal, his eyes lighting up as he dummied the ball past Daniel Davies but blazed over with just Roberts left to beat.
TNS then began to shake off their tentative start to the second period as they started to press higher up the pitch and probe the Rovers lines, the change in dynamic prompting Bradley to bring on Graham Burke and Jack Byrne for McEneff and Burns respectively.
The subs combined on 71 minutes with Byrne getting down the right and cutting it back for the in-form Burke, although the latter’s shot was blocked.
Burke had another effort from a free-kick, finding the wide gap between the unorthodox TNS wall and just missing his mark at the near post with the ball nestling into the side-netting.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium as the clock ticked towards the '90, with Rovers looking to use possession to kill off the visitors’ impetus.
Bradley’s side had one more corner to deal with deep into stoppage time but Cleary headed clear, prompting a counter-attack which saw Burke force a Rovers corner at the other end and the home side saw out the game to earn their second win of the League Phase.
With seven points bagged from a possible nine, Shamrock Rovers will resume their Conference League campaign in Austria where they face Rapid Vienna on 28 November, although their next assignment will involve back-to-back friendlies against Finnish side HJK Helsinki in Tallaght, the first on 21 November and the latter behind closed doors the following day.
Shamrock Rovers: Leon Pohls; Joshua Honohan, Daniel Cleary, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace, Darragh Burns (Jack Byrne '69); Aaron McEneff (Graham Burke '69), Markus Poom (Gary O'Neill '85), Dylan Watts (Darragh Nugent '85), Neil Farrugia; Johnny Kenny (Aaron Greene '79).
The New Saints: Connor Roberts; Josh Daniels, Daniel Davies, Jack Bodenham, Daniel Redmond; Ryan Brobbel, Leo Smith, Daniel Williams, Rory Holden (Ben Clark '75); Jordan Williams (Adam Wilson '83), Declan McManus.
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