UCD 2 Rovers 4

************* Eircom League *************
UCD 2
Sammon 1' Fitzgerald 89'
Shamrock Rovers 4
Purcell 14'pen. Myler 51', 62', 84' pen.

Belfield - Friday 24th Aug 2007

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The Hoops, missing central defender Barry Ferguson through suspension, had a very nervous start defensively when they conceded an early strike from Sammon and survived two more chances to the Students within the first eight minutes. They gradually got their composure and when Purcell was felled in the box in the 13th minute and scored the resulting penalty, despite Quigley getting a good hand to the ball, the Hoops settled into the game.

This was a physical encounter played in perfect conditions and the Hoops battled to contain UCDs big strikers. After 22 minutes an O'Brien cross saw Myler just fail to make contact and two minutes later some good Rovers pressure followed a Tyrell free-kick. John Martin was on the receiving end of a late challenge in the 42nd minute and the resulting free-kick saw Myler knock the ball over the bar.

Shields replaced the injured Martin at half-time but it was Sammon who threatened early for the home side. However Rovers began to boss the game and Tyrell delivered a fine cross in the 51st minute that eluded Myler but saw Purcell head towards goal. Quigley did well to push the ball onto the crossbar but Myler was quickest to react and he nodded the ball home from close range.

Dave Cassidys curling shot saw Quigley tip the ball over for a corner on 59 minutes but three minutes later the Hoops extended their lead. Myler chased a ball into the box and from an angle with two defenders around him he somehow hooked the ball over Quigley and into the corner of the net for a sublime finish. He almost scored his third from a Cassidy corner just four minutes later but his header went over.

Barry Murphy comfortably took a header from UCDs first real attack of the half on 70 minutes. A bizarre incident on 74 minutes saw Shields accidently collide with the Referee and as the Ref. lay prostrate on the ground Alan Reynolds grabbed the whistle from his hand and blew for the play to stop. On 79 minutes a lovely Reynolds pass saw Myler head the ball to substitute Doyle in the box but a heavy challenge snuffed out the chance.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes some sloppy defending from O'Connor saw Murphy save a shot with his legs but just a minute later Doyle was bundled over in the box and Myler stepped up to coolly slot the penalty home for his hat-trick. The Students went looking to salvage some pride and Fitzgerald scored with a fine shot from the edge of the box after Rovers failed to clear in the dying minutes.

Line-Out

1 Barry Murphy
2 Ger O’Brien
3 Robbie Clarke
4 Alan Reynolds
5 Dean Lawrence
6 Danny O’Connor
7 David Cassidy
8 John Martin
9 Tadhg Purcell
10 Andy Myler
11 Dave Tyrell


Substitutes :

13 Paul Shields for Martin ht
14 Ger Rowe for Myler 87'
15 Owen Doyle for Tyrell 58'
16 Stephen O'Brien
17 Padraig Amond