Episode 52 - Fightback at the Brandywell earns the Hoops a draw

Ryan Brennan is solo today with Adam at Electric Picnic, as Shamrock Rovers return from Derry with a point that will feel like more and less than it deserves in equal measure.

Rovers found themselves 3-1 down at half-time at the Brandywell — Ellis Chapman scoring twice and Michael Duffy adding a third to leave the league leaders in serious trouble before the break. The second half told a different story. Graham Burke's header and a Dylan Watts equaliser hauled Rovers level at 3-3, with Will Fitzgerald and Michael McColgan both going close to a winner in the final minutes. A point that keeps the five-point gap at the top intact — but it was the first half that did the talking.

We look back on the game in full, asking the honest questions about how Rovers ended up 3-1 down before half-time, whether the performance carried the weight of a difficult few weeks, and what it says about where this squad is right now.

We then step back and ask a bigger question: is this a title-winning defence? Rovers conceded three times at the Brandywell today, and it is not the first time this season that the backline has been cut open. Pico Lopes missed a significant chunk of the campaign at the World Cup with Cape Verde, came back, and then picked up a straight red card against Drogheda in August — a three-game ban that ruled him out for Dundalk, the St Patrick's Athletic FAI Cup tie, and Shelbourne. He is back now. But with three goals conceded in Derry today, the question of whether this defence can actually win a league is one that needs to be asked directly.

Finally, attention turns to the visit of Shelbourne to Tallaght Stadium. After the summer they have had, Rovers need a response — and they need it at home. What should Stephen Bradley do differently, who is available, and what kind of performance does this moment call for?

In this episode:

• Derry City 3-3 Shamrock Rovers review
• Is this a title-winning defence?
• Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne preview

🎙️ Hosted by Ryan Brennan. Thanks, as always, for listening and supporting The Milltown Way. Follow us on X, Instagram and TikTok for daily Shamrock Rovers content, and don't forget to subscribe, rate and review wherever you get your podcasts. All views are those of the hosts and do not represent Shamrock Rovers FC.