Rovers (1) 3 - Purcell 44' Hegarty o.g. 47' Bradley pen. 67'

Kildare County (0) 0
EA Sports Cup - Tallaght Stadium -Monday 13th April 2009

16 Robert Duggan
15 Corey Treacy
14 Ollie Cahill
5 Aiden Price
6 Sean Webb
7 Shane Robinson
8 Stephen Rice
17 Greg Cameron
21 Padraig Amond
22 Tadhg Purcell
11 Sean O'Connor

Subs
2 Simon Madden for Treacy ht'
13 Eric McGill for Robinson 59'
18 Dessie Baker
19 Eoin Doyle for Cameron 68'
1 Barry Murphy

Tadhg Purcell opened the scoring

Rovers had a comfortable win over Kildare County to qualify for the second round of the EA Sports Cup but had to wait until the 44th minute before making the breakthrough. Sean O'Connor sent in a fine cross for Purcell to powerfully head home from 6 yards out.

The game started slowly with Rovers completely dominating possession and following a couple of dangerous crosses a Kildare defender almost put through his own goal on 15 mins when his header came off the cross-bar under pressure from Amond. Amond and Bradley combined three mins later and the ball fell for O'Connor but his weak shot was blocked. Matt Byrne had Kildare's first shot on goal on 19 mins but Duggan saved. Kildare number 6 Issaka was having a fine game defending the Hoops attacks.

Robinson shot over the bar on 26 mins and should have done better four mins later when O'Connor intercepted a pass and sent the Waterford man in on goal but Shane's attempted lob from 25 yards went wide of the target. On 38 mins O'Connor crossed for Amond to crash his header off the right hand post and two mins later Robinson saw his volley from just outside the area go narrowly wide. Following the Rovers opener Padraig Amond set-up Robinson on the left inside the box but a defender got back to deny a second for the Hoops.

Madden was introduced at half-time and his low cross just two minutes into the 'half beat the 'keeper and Hegarty touched the ball into his own net.

Rovers continued to dominate and Amond went very close with a header on 62 mins. Sub McGill forced 'keeper McDonnell to touch his long range shot over the bar before some good play in the visitors box saw Madden's cross handled and Bradley stepped up to score from the spot-kick.

The Hoops had chances to make it four especially when Bradley shot just wide and Webb's header also just missed the target but the over-worked Kildare County defence held out. Right at the end Price had a headed goal ruled out for a foul on the 'keeper and with the last kick of the game Bradley attempted to lob the Kildare 'keeper from 25 yards but McDonnell just tipped his effort over the bar.