LEE GRACE knows defence wins titles – which is why he believes the two clean sheets for Shamrock Rovers last week were bigger than the wins.
The Hoops moved top of the table for the first time since 2023 with back-to-back wins in Tallaght over Sligo Rovers and previous leaders Drogheda United.
And while the gap is tight – they lead Derry City on goal difference and six points separate first from eight – Rovers look to be hitting form.
But crucially for Grace, it is also at the back. Over the previous month, they had failed to do so in five games as they won just one of them despite leading in all of them.
And the defender admitted that his goal and assist in the 3-0 win over Drogheda United were not the most pleasing thing for him.
He said: “I’m more happy with a clean sheet but I’m always happy to chip in with a goal and assist.
“We said it as defenders it wasn’t good enough, not even as defenders, as everyone really. The defending starts at the top of the pitch.
“But we were giving away too many goals, so hopefully put a few together (now) and hopefully it continues.”
Grace, 32, said there was no one issue that needed to be changed, but it just came down to hard work.
He continued: “Sometimes it’s luck and hunger to get to the ball. We just need to be hungry to get to the ball.
“A lot of teams are putting balls in the box and it’s second phase that they’re scoring off, knockdowns and stuff like that.
“You almost think that every time the ball is in the box it is going to be a lucky break to them, everything is against you.
“You just have to keep working, and be hungry to get to the ball and close shots down because anything can happen when the ball breaks to the edge of the box.”
But Grace and co and kept clean sheets in the last two games that mean they now have the best defence in the league along with St Pat’s.
And the defender is well aware of how important that is – eight of the last ten champions have also had the best defensive records.
He continued: “100 percent, clean sheets win leagues. I said it all down through the years, if you don’t keep clean sheets you won’t win games.
“We’ve the joint best defensive record now in the league.
“We’re happy with that as defenders and we want to be the best defence so we just need to keep the goals out, because we’ll always score.”
And that was proved on Friday as the Hoops put three goals past Drogheda United who suffered their heaviest defeat of the season.
But Grace insisted Rovers must now keep winning as he believes any team who can put a consistent run together can open a gap at the top.
He continued: “We’ve had a couple of good 45 minutes but then for some reason started slow in the second half, and it’s come back to bite us.
“You could say that was our best performance over the 90. It’s all well and good doing it this week, we’ve now got to build on it.
“I think it’s a mad league. Everyone is beating everyone.
“If you can go on a run between now and the break, a couple of wins, maybe a few draws, don’t get beat, you might be right up there, maybe even a few clear because teams are struggling to put two or three wins together.
“So if you can do that, happy days. But I know it’s a cliche, just concentrate on the next one and bring the performance tonight into it, and come October, what will be, will be.”