Rovers 1 Drogheda Utd 2

******* Eircom League Premier Division *******
Shamrock Rovers 1
Cassidy 83'
Drogheda Utd. 2
Robinson 55' 59'
Tolka Park - Friday 20th April 2007

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A hard and bumpy pitch made good football difficult as this game took a while to ignite but a fairly ordinary first half was followed by an eventful second period. The first real chance fell to the Hoops in the 18th minute when a McGill cross found Purcell in the box but his header was weak and the 'keeper saved easily. Ian Ryan was called upon to make a good defensive clearance in the 24th minute followed by a good run by Pender down the right but he couldn't get a cross in.

Pender latched on to a loose ball in the 27th minute and he found O'Brien who crossed low into the box. Tadhg Purcell left the ball for Rowe but his volleyed effort was blocked by a defender. Zayed almost got in behind the Hoops defence in the 29th minute but O'Brien got across to clear. A Clarke free-kick was headed down by Ferguson in the 32nd minute but Barretts shot was deflected over the bar.

A bouncing ball in the area was almost pounced on by Zayed but Clarke just got his foot to the ball to clear. The same Drogheda player hit a poor effort when in space at the edge of the area in the 42nd minute.

It all went wrong for Rovers in a five minute spell in the second half when Robinson slipped the ball under Barry Murphy from Zayeds low cross in the 55th minute. The Hoops defence were caught napping in the 59th minute when a well rehearsed free-kick saw Robinson peel away from his marker and receive a short pass just inside the box to fire home Drogheda's second goal.

The Hoops were finding it difficult to make any real chances but an act of stupidity from Fitzpatrick left the visitors with only ten men after he was dismissed for pushing Ferguson over after a minor tussle in the box. Up to then only a couple of free-kicks, that were punched clear by the Drogs 'keeper, were all the home side had to show for their efforts. However things changed in the 83rd minute.

A Dave Cassidy half volley from the edge of the area had Drogs 'keeper Vilmunen flapping and his unorthodox efforts to save the shot saw the ball spin into the net. Rovers now pushed on looking for a share of the spoils and Mylers header from a corner in the 85th minute needed Bradley to head off the line. Substitute Duffy then almost sent Myler in before another Cassidy free-kick was cleared. In the 90th minute a deep O'Brien cross was met at the back post by Ferguson but his header went just over. In the 4th minute of added on time Robbie Clarke got in behind the defence down the left and his low cross into the area found O'Brien but unfortunately the Hoops defender miss-kicked his effort.

Line-Out

1 Barry Murphy
2 Ger O'Brien
3 Robbie Clarke
4 Barry Ferguson
5 Ian Ryan
6 Danny O'Connor
7 Derek Pender
8 Tommy Barrett
9 Tadhg Purcell
10 Ger Rowe
11 Dave McGill


Substitutes :

13 Dave Cassidy for O'Connor 53'
14 Jamie Duffy for Purcell 72'
15 Andy Myler for McGill 59'
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