Dundalk 0

Shamrock Rovers 2
Sheppard 20' 64'

Oriel Park - 11th May 2006

Rovers Line-Out

1 Barry Murphy, 2 Ger O'Brien, 3 Robbie Clarke, 4 Aidan Price, 5 Ray Kenny , 6 Ray Scully, 7 Jamie Duffy, 8 Ian Maher, 9 Willie Doyle, 10 Philip Sheppard, 11 Robbie Shields,

Substitutes : 13 Dave O'Connor, 14 Ian Ryan, 15 Padraig Amond, 16 Seamus Long (Sheppard 72'), 20 John McGuinness.

Match Report

Rovers moved back to the top of the table thanks to a good display and two well taken Sheppard goals. This was the Hoops first game on Dundalk's artificial surface but Rovers coped well and made most of the running in the first half. Ian Maher almost got on the end of a through ball in the 4th minute and Duffy was the provider in the 11th minute sending Sheppard in on goal who headed the ball over the 'keeper but wide of the goal.

Rovers were on top now and were using Sheppards pace to get behind the home defence. A Duffy cross in the 14th minute saw Shields knock the ball back across goal but Maher couldn't keep his header down with the goal at his mercy. A corner in the 20th minute was deep to Duffy who found Sheppard in the area but the 'keeper saved his close range effort. However the Rovers number 10 pounced just seconds later when he ran on to a through ball to slip the ball past the 'keeper for the Hoops opener.

An unorthodox back pass from Dundalks number 6 had the 'keeper scrambling to head the ball away in the 26th minute while Duffy had a shot just wide a minute later. Barry Murphy easily saved a shot on target for the home side in the 34th minute.

Dundalk came out in the second half with a little more purpose but only had a speculative effort from near the half-way line to show for it. At the other end Doyle broke through the home defence but the 'keeper advanced to save at his feet. Barry Murphy then pulled off a fine save from a Dundalk free-kick just outside the box after 58 minutes.

Having being pushed back for the opening 18 minutes of the second period the Hoops broke in the 64th minute when Duffy found Doyle on the right wing and he delivered a fine low cross that Sheppard poked into the net at the second attempt. Ian Maher was then booked as he battled in the competitive midfield area and Murphy saved well after a scramble in the Rovers box.

Maher received his second yellow of the night in the 70th minute for a foul just outside the box and was sent off. This seemed like a harsh decision as the game had been very physical up to then. Dundalk raised their game looking for a goal but some fine defending from Aidan Price and some fine goalkeeping from Murphy, especially a catch in the 77th minute under pressure from two attackers kept them out. Rovers also survived a late penalty appeal for handball from a corner to take a deserved three points.