Rovers 1 Athlone Town 0

**********Eircom League Cup Q/F***********
Shamrock Rovers 1
Myler 81'

Athlone Town 0

Tolka Park - Tue 3rd July 2007

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The Hoops left it late to see off the challenge of Athlone Town but deserved to go through having dominated much of the play. Rovers could have been two up in the first 15 minutes with Cassidys cross falling nicely for O'Connor after 5 minutes but he flashed his shot wide. On 13 minutes another good cross from Cassidy almost found Purcell in front of goal and it looked like he was bundled over as he tried to make contact.

The Athlone number 11 fired a shot not far off Stephen O'Briens goal on 18 minutes but Rovers again went close on 22 minutes, this time Purcell headed wide when well placed from O'Connors cross. A deep corner in the 25th minute had the 'keeper scrambling but Ferguson couldn't get a header on goal. Dave O'Connor had an effort from just inside the box blocked on the half-hour.

Good control by Rowe in the box on 35 minutes set up Cassidy in space who crossed low but Purcell saw his goalbound effort blocked by a defender at the near post. Two minutes later a McGill shot fell to Purcell in front of goal but his shot on the turn was straight at O'Leary in the Athlone goal. The final chance of the half saw McGill take advantage of some sloppy play to slip the ball to Rowe who in turn fed Cassidy but no one was on hand to avail of his low cross in front of goal.

The second half was a more open affair and straight away a Hoops free-kick had Ferguson and Lawrence causing the visitors defence problems but Athlone broke well and their number seven fired a shot across O'Briens goal. Lawrence had a shot blocked in the box on 50 minutes and a lovely flick from Myler in the 58th minute saw Cassidy burst into the box to cross deep for Rowe but Athlone defended well.

A good passing movement from Rovers on the hour ended with O'Brien crossing for Cassidy to head just wide. Stephen O'Brien was called on in the 62nd minute to take a well struck low cross from Rossitor. Cassidy fed Rowe a minute later but his attempted lob over the 'keeper went just over.

Myler was involved again in the 68th minute when his pass saw Dan O'Connor get into the box on the right and his cross was just too high for debutant Tyrrell right in front of goal. A Tyrrell corner in the 72nd minute beat the 'keeper but Cassidy couldn't steer the ball into the net at the back post. Three minutes later an O'Brien cross into the box was flicked on by Rowe but the ball trickled through to the 'keeper.

The game had entered the last 10 minutes when an attempted clearance rebounded off an Athlone defender for a corner. Cassidy sent in a deep cross that was headed out only as far as Rowe and he volleyed the ball back across goal for Myler to score with a header to the relief of the Hoops faithful. The Midlanders threw everything into attack in the final minutes and Stephen O'Brien had to dive to punch away a dangerous free-kick.

Line-Out

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


Substitutes :

13 Robbie Clarke for Langtry 90'
14 David Tyrrell for O'Connor 52'
15 Andy Myler for Purcell ht
16 Karl Coleman
17 Padraig Amond