Rovers 0 St Pats 1

Eircom League Premier Division

Rovers (0) 0

St Patricks Ath. (1) 1 - (Lynch 26'  )

Frustrating night for the Hoops...

Aiden Price
returned to the Hoops line-out

Rovers welcomed Aiden Price back into the team after a lengthly lay-off due to injury but the Hoops fell to a contentious first-half goal and overall deserved more from the game but the failure to take some of the chances created in the first-half came back to haunt them.
 

It took only two minutes for the Hoops to create their first chance when O'Briens free-kick was headed to the back post by Maguire and Purcell connected with the ball but Ryan was on hand to save. Purcell then went on a good run down the right and turned into the box but his cross failed to pick out Baker at the far post.

The Hoops had a good chance in the 14th minute whe Rice crossed for Sean O'Connor to get in ahead of his marker to fire a volley narrowly wide. O'Brien sent Rice away down the right after 22 minutes to force a corner but the Saints defended well. Alan Murphys free-kick after 25 minutes needed Ryan to punch away under pressure.

The game came alive on 26 minutes when Barry Murphy came off his line to cut out a long through ball but he collided with a Pats player and dropped the ball and Lynch was on hand to score from close range. Murphy protested to Ref. Kelly but to no avail. Stephen Rice was also booked for arguing with the Ref.

Rovers tried to react and Maguire pushed forward in the 32nd minute and released Flynn who crossed deep and forced a corner. The corner kick fell to Danny O'Connor just outside the area but his shot was blocked. Rovers kept the pressure up and forced two corners in the 40th minute. From the second kick Purcell rose to head towards goal but Barry Ryan made a magnificent one-handed save to deny the Hoops an equaliser. The half ended with Fahey dragging a shot across goal that O'Neill almost connected with and Danny O'Connor receiving a yellow card for what seemed like a fair challenge.

Rovers continued to boss the game in the second-half and O'Brien found Rice at the edge of the area on 53 minutes but his curling effort was saved by Ryan. An O'Brien free-kick three minutes later caused problems but Ryan was first to the ball.

Aiden Price headed over from Sean O'Connor's corner in the 65th minute but a couple of minutes later a rare mistake by the Hoops defender saw Maguire stretch to clear the ball for a corner. Baker did well to pass to O'Brien who in turn fed Danny O'Connor but his low shot from the edge of the area went just wide. Another free-kick on 75 minutes saw Danny O'Connor head wide.

Five minutes from time Danny O'Connor received a soft second yellow card for a trip on a Pats midfielder and the Hoops were reduced to ten men. Ryan saved an O'Brien shot on 86 minutes and the Hoops pushed forward in numbers in the dying minutes and despite a corner and free-kick, in which Barry Murphy joined the attack, they couldn't break down a resolute St. Pats defence.