Finn Harps 0
Shamrock Rovers 0

Rovers Team

1 Barry Murphy, 2 Ger O'Brien, 3 Robbie Clarke, YC 4 Aidan Price, 5 Ray Kenny, 6 Ray Scully, 7 Jamie Duffy, 8 Ian Maher, Yc 9 Philip Sheppard, 10 Tadhg Purcell, 11 Dave O'Connor. Substitutes : 14 Ian Ryan, 15 Robbie Shields (O'Connor 76'), 16 David Cassidy (Purcell 89'), 20 John McGuinness.

Match Report

An overall disappointing game saw the Hoops take a point and go back on top of the table albeit on goal difference. The bumpy pitch made good football difficult and it was the home side that made the early running putting Barry Murphy under pressure from a couple of early corners as he struggled to deal with the evening sun in his eyes. Breen had a decent chance in the 10th minute for Harps but his close range header was straight at Murphy.

The Hoops first real effort on goal came in the 28th minute when Kenny burst forward and found Sheppard in the box but his shot was weak. Jamie Duffy almost took advantage of a Sheppard miss-hit shot when it fell to him just outside the box but his control let him down and the chance was lost.

Duffy was on hand just five minutes later to fire a shot just inches past the post and then Purcell turned well at the edge of the area but his shot failed to test the 'keeper. Murphy did well to force a close range effort wide at the other end before the last chance of the 'half saw Price heading over the advancing 'keeper from a free-kick but a Harps defender got back to clear.

The second-half saw a more positive start for Rovers with Duffy going on a good run but his final effort was weak. Rovers best chance fell in the 51st minute when Duffy fed Purcell who then flicked a ball through to Sheppard. The Hoops number nine slipped the ball past the 'keeper but the left hand post denied him the opening goal.

Murphy saved a speculative effort from 25 yards on the hour before O'Connor went on a fine run and his low cross saw Scully fire a shot off a defender. The ball fell for O'Connor again and his cross found Sheppard but his header went just over. Purcell headed over from a corner in the 69th minute.

Harps had a chance in the 75th minute but their number seven fired wide when in a great position in the box. Ger O'Brien got forward to fire a volley just wide with 10 minutes remaining and Harps had a half-chance in the 86th minute from a corner but the shot was deflected wide. Ray Scully then fired in a shot from just inside the box but it was straight at the 'keeper. Although Rovers had fairly dominated the second period they almost got hit with a killer blow when a Harps shot went inches wide. In the dying minutes Tadhg Purcell had to be helped off the pitch when he fell awkwardly.