Galway Utd 1
O'Brien 45+4'
Shamrock Rovers 0

Eircom League - Terryland Park - Friday 6th October 2006 ko 7.45pm

Rovers Line-Out

1 Barry Murphy, 2 Ger O'Brien, 3 Robbie Clarke, 4 Aidan Price, 5 Ian Ryan,
6 Vinny Perth , 7 Dave Cassidy, 15 Ray Kenny, 9 Chris Breen, 10 Gerard Rowe,
11 David McGill.

Substitutes : 13 Anto Flood for Breen 81', 14 Tadhg Purcell for McGill 71', 16 Eric McGill for Perth 87', 17 Dave O'Connor, 20 John McGuinness.

Match Report

The recent gale force winds and rain had died down when the Hoops took to the Terryland pitch this evening and they started brightly when within the first minute Rowe ran on to a through ball but shot over the advancing Gough in the home goal. Gough then spilled a low cross from Cassidy but nobody was on hand to take advantage. The home side gradually got into the game and in the 11th minute Barry Murphy could only watch as a dangerous low ball went right across goal.

Breen and Rowe were causing problems up front and in the 12th minute Breen went around Charles and his cross was met by Rowe who set up McGill but his effort was saved. O'Brien tried his luck from 25 yards in the 14th minute before Charles headed just wide at the Hoops back post from a free-kick. Robbie Clarke got down the left wing to cross for Cassidy to head just wide in the 23rd minute. The home side had a great chance in the 26th minute when their number ten was put through on goal but Murphy advanced to save with his feet. Just 5 minutes later a Price mistake let in Galway again but this time the chance was blasted wide with only Murphy to beat.

Cassidy ran across the home sides box in the 36th minute but his shot was blocked before the same player put Breen in behind the home defence but the Hoops number 9 failed to control the ball and Gough gathered. The game was held up due to a bad injury sustained by a Galway defender and in the stoppage time allowed a high ball into the area fell to O'Brien and he shot home from close range.

Rovers took control at the beginning of the second half and Perths deflected shot almost deceived Gough. Perth won a great tackle in midfied in the 54th minute and this led to Breens low cross which took a wicked deflection off a defender but Gough got back to save. Gerard Rowe was in the action just 2 minutes later when McGill almost played him in while a minute later Cassidy did find Rowe in the box but his first touch was poor and the chance was lost. A Rowe cross was touched over by Gough on the hour before Rowe turned provider when turning well at the edge of the area, he played Kenny in but his touch was weak and Gough saved.

Galway were content to sit back and soak up the pressure but a Hoops corner in the 69th minute saw Ryan just fail to get a touch on the ball in front of goal. Purcell, Flood and McGill were introduced but never got to trouble the Galway defence with only a through ball from Purcell to Rowe in the 84th minute giving Gough something to worry about.