The Hoops may have been disappointed not to win their final home game of the season but an appreciative Tallaght crowd rightly applauded their efforts for this fantastic season. Although the league championship is now out of our grasp, Rovers can look forward to European football next season.
Rovers made a fine start on a pitch that retained some water from the earlier heavy rain. A great move after five minutes saw Twigg feed Bradley who in turn found Rice in the box who then set up Baker in front of goal but Dessie fired straight at Ryan.
Stephen Rice then couldn’t control Bradley’s cross in front of goal after 10 minutes and Rovers continued to apply the pressure with Ollie Cahill sending in a low cross that Bradley just failed to connect with. A Baker cross on 21 minutes saw Twigg head towards goal but Ryan saved easily.
Aaron Greene sent in a fine cross on 24 minutes that Aiden Price did well to defend but two minutes later Sean O’Connor ran at the visitors defence and his shot was parried by Ryan but the ball was returned by Robinson and Bradley crossed for Twigg to turn and shoot straight at the Galway ‘keeper.
Another good move by Rovers on 30 minutes saw Twigg’s sweeping pass to the right find Bradley and he almost put O’Connor in but a defender got back in time to clear. Good defending from Sives denied Conneely a cross in a dangerous position on 40 minutes and at the other end Pat Sullivan’s fine shot from 25 yards was pushed away by Barry Ryan.
The irrepressible Gary Twigg opened the scoring in the 43rd minute when he was on the end of a fine passing movement that started with Price finding Sullivan who in turn fed Bradley who crossed for the Scotsman to glance his header past the ‘keeper. Some late pressure from Rovers saw Baker’s free-kick saved by Ryan and Robinson’s dangerous cross cleared.
There was a tame start to the second period but both Baker and Cahill put in decent crosses. Barrett and Kavanagh were introduced and the latter controlled Twigg’s pass on 62 minutes but fired his shot over the bar.
On 67 minutes a cross by Bradley fell to Twigg 20 yards out and the Scotsman almost caught Ryan off his line but the Galway ‘keeper got back to save. The Hoops were shocked when Greene ran at the defence and despite a last gasp tackle by Price he fired the ball low past Mannus to equalise.
Rovers responded and Bradley’s cross fell to Twigg in the area but Ryan saved his low shot. After 71 minutes Bradley saw his cross-shot go over Ryan but go inches wide. Bradley was again involved in the 74th minute when Kavanagh controlled his pass and ran into the area and he checked his run but elected to shoot rather than cross to Twigg and Ryan gathered the ball at his near post.
Gary Breen received his second yellow card to reduce the visitors to 10 men on 77 minutes and a minute later Pat Sullivan’s throw-in caused problems in the Galway defence but the ball was eventually cleared. A minute later Robinson found Barrett and his low cross saw Amond get a touch on the ball but Ryan saved.
Although a man short the visitors created a decent chance on 82 minutes when Faherty headed across goal from a corner. Rovers pushed on in the dying minutes and a Robinson cross saw Amond and Barrett desperately try to make the vital contact.
Kavanagh’s low shot was saved by Ryan with 4 minutes remaining and as the game entered the allotted 3 minutes of injury time the indomitable Stephen Rice got his foot to a Sullivan cross and as the ball broke he was first to react but he saw his shot hit he post and the Hoops last chance to keep the title race alive was extinguished.
