Rovers 0 Bohemians 0

************* Eircom League *************
Shamrock Rovers 0


Bohemians 0

Tolka Park - Fri 29th June 2007

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The game may have ended scoreless but this was only because of the brilliance of the two 'keepers who brought off two fine saves at crucial moments of the game. The game took a while to settle as the football failed to match the atmosphere. Rowe was linking up well with Myler and Purcell up front but it was Kingsbury who provided the first half-chance in the 12th minute when he got past Ger O'Brien but his cross was headed over.

Barrett did well to take the ball off Mansaram in the 22nd minute and McGill played Rowe in at the other end but the linesman ruled the ball went over the line as his cross found Cassidy in the box. In the 30th minute Cassidy followed up a corner with a shot that was fumbled by Murphy and Ferguson forced the ball from the 'keeper but the Ref. blew for a foul. Good play from Rowe in the 36th minute almost put Myler in behind the defence.

Ferguson did well to clear at the 2nd attempt from Crowe in the 38th minute and a minute later good interchange play between Rowe and Purcell almost set Myler up. Langtry then got back well to take the ball off Mansaram in a dangerous position. There were calls for a penalty when Rowe was clipped as he tried to retrieve the ball in the Bohs box but the half finished with Stephen O'Brien reacting quickly to snuff out a shot on the turn by the ever dangerous Mansaram.

The second half saw a much better display from Rovers but Mansaram got the better of O'Brien in the 49th minute but he elected to pull tha ball back from a tight angle and the chance was lost. Murphy then took a low cross from Rowe. In the 51st minute Rowes cross at the second attempt found Purcell on the six-yard area but he was stretching to make the header and the ball went just wide.

Ferguson was on hand to clear when McGill lost the ball on the edge of the area in the 54th minute and two minutes later Rowe sent O'Brien on a run into the box but Murphy tipped over his shot. Rovers were on top now and Myler header wide from a corner before Purcells pace caused problems again but he was hauled down while bearing down on goal. On the hour a Cassidy corner was met by the head of Rowe at the near post and his header was goal bound but Murphy made a great one-handed save.

Purcell then beat the offside trap just a minute later but he lost the ball as he tried to cut in and make a better angle for himself. McGill shot following a corner but Purcell couldn't direct the ball on goal. The visitors then had a good chance when Mansaram got past Clarke but Stephen O'Brien was off his line quickly to block his effort. Purcell then sent a glancing header across goal in the 68th minute but there was no hooped player on hand to take advantage. In the 76th minute Myler was played in behind the Bohs defence but Cassidy had to turn back to control his cross and his shot went wide.

The fact that the Hoops were unable to score when on top meant that the final ten minutes were going to be a nervous time as Bohs forced their way back into the game. A Heary cross in the 82nd minute found Crowe and his header was heading for the bottom corner of the net but Stephen O'Brien threw himself across goal to push away the ball. In the 89th minute a well worked free-kick saw Bohs get behind the Hoops defence but Ferguson was on hand to clear. A Bohs corner in the second minute of added on time caused problems for the Hoops defence but Stephen O'Brien waded through a crowd of players to punch the ball away to safety.

Line-Out

1 Stephen O'Brien
2 Ger O'Brien
3 Mark Langtry
4 Dean Lawrence
5 Barry Ferguson
6 Tommy Barrett
7 Ger Rowe
8 Dave McGill
9 Tadhg Purcell
10 Andy Myler
11 Dave Cassidy


Substitutes :

13 Robbie Clarke for Langtry 57'
14 Ian Ryan for Barrett 64'
15 Dave O'Connor for Cassidy 87'
16 John Perkins
17 Ciaran Kilduff