FAI Cup QF Stat Attack

Here's your FAI Ford Cup Quarter Final Day Stats......

Shamrock Rovers face Shelbourne in the FAI Cup Quarter-Final at Tolka Park tonight. Shels were the first name out of the hat when the draw was made on Monday Night Soccer on August 27th.

They needed a replay to overcome Bray Wanderers in the second round, drawing 1-1 at the Carlisle Grounds and winning 1-0 at home with a goal from Philip Gorman. Then they came from behind to beat Leinster Senior League side Cherry Orchard 3-2 in their Drumcondra venue.

Rovers won two ties at Tallaght Stadium on their way here, 1-0 over Limerick and 2-0 against Cork City in R3. The Hoops went out at this stage last year while Shelbourne reached the final. With 21,662 in attendance at the Aviva Stadium, they had taken a first half lead before Richie Winter’s absurd decision to send off Barry Clancy.

In 119 FAI Cup Finals so far, nine players have been dismissed and only two after receiving two yellow cards – Clancy and Pat Sullivan (Longford) in 2007. Sligo Rovers equalised and the game went to extra-time and penalties, where Sligo won 4-1 to retain the Cup.

It was 11th time Shelbourne were runners-up and they have won it 7 times, most recently in 2000. Rovers continue the drive for #25.

The clubs drew 2-2 in the league last week and Rovers have won twice already at Tolka Park this season, in the Premier Division and Leinster Senior Cup. Three successive victories at Tolka has never happened since leaving Milltown.

Shelbourne boss Alan Mathews won back to back FAI Cup trophies with Longford Town in 2003 and 2004. They knocked out Rovers along the way in 2004 and his Cork City side won 1-0 at Tolka Park in the 2008 Fourth Round.

Following the 1-0 defeat to Bohemians on Monday, Stephen Kenny and Shamrock Rovers parted company after 259 days at the helm. It is the shortest reign by a permanent manager since Alan O’Neill & Terry Eviston in 1996.

Kenny had a record of Played 39, Won 19, Drew 13, Lost 7, Scored 64, Conceded 42. He won 10 out of 11 domestic cup ties, including the Leinster Senior Cup trophy but the champions are fourth in the league table, 13 points behind Sligo and without a home win in four months.

Europa League Group Stage participants in 2011/12, this time Rovers were knocked out at the first hurdle in the Champions League by Ekranas in July. Kenny’s assistant Stephen Glass will now take charge of first team affairs. Glass appeared as a substitute in Newcastle’s 2-0 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup Final at Wembley, on May 22, 1999.

Head to Head

Mar 17, 1925 – Final – Dalymount Park – Shamrock Rovers 2-0 Shelbourne (Fullam, Flood)

Jan 05, 1929 – First Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 3-2 Shelbourne (Sloan 2, Flood)

Jan 04, 1930 – First Round – Shelbourne Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Shelbourne (Golding)

Jan 08, 1930 – Replay – Shelbourne Park – Shelbourne 0-0 Shamrock Rovers

Jan 15, 1930 – Second Replay – Shelbourne Park – Shamrock Rovers 3-1 Shelbourne (Byrne 2, Flood)

Jan 10, 1931 – First Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Shelbourne (Flood Byrne)

Apr 16, 1944 – Final – Dalymount Park – Shamrock Rovers 3-2 Shelbourne (Rogers, Gannon og, Crowe)

Feb 15, 1947 – First Round – Shelbourne Park – Shelbourne 0-1 Shamrock Rovers (Coad)

Mar 12, 1947 – Second Leg – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 0-1 Shelbourne

Mar 13, 1947 – Playoff – Tolka Park – Shelbourne 5-2 Shamrock Rovers (Coad 2)

Mar 11, 1951 – Second Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-2 Shelbourne (O’Callaghan)

Mar 27, 1955 – Second Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 3-0 Shelbourne (McCann, Tuohy 2)

Feb 19, 1956 – First Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 2-0 Shelbourne (O’Reilly, Fitzpatrick og)

Feb 17, 1957 – First Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 2-2 Shelbourne (Coad, McCann)

Feb 27, 1957 – Replay – Tolka Park – Shelbourne 0-1 Shamrock Rovers (McCann)

Mar 06, 1960 – Second Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Shelbourne (Hamilton)

Mar 09, 1960 – Replay – Tolka Park – Shelbourne 3-0 Shamrock Rovers

Apr 28, 1962 – Final – Dalymount Park – Shamrock Rovers 4-1 Shelbourne (Ambrose 2, Hamilton 2)

Apr 07, 1963 – Semi Final – Dalymount Park – Shelbourne 2-0 Shamrock Rovers

Mar 06, 1966 – Second Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Shelbourne (Tuohy)

Mar 08, 1966 – Replay – Tolka Park – Shelbourne 0-1 Shamrock Rovers (O’Neill pen) AET

Feb 12, 1967 – First Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Shelbourne (Kearin)

Mar 03, 1968 – Second Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Shelbourne (Lawlor)

Mar 30, 1969 – Semi Final – Dalymount Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Shelbourne (O’Neill pen)

Apr 02, 1969 – Replay – Tolka Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Shelbourne (Lawlor)

Feb 1, 1970 – First Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-2 Shelbourne (Barber)

Mar 7, 1975 – Third Round – Dalymount Park – Shelbourne 1-0 Shamrock Rovers

Feb 11, 1979 – First Round – Glenmalure Park – Shamrock Rovers 2-1 Shelbourne (Byrne 2)

Apr 06, 1984 – Semi Final – Dalymount Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-1 Shelbourne (Eccles)

Apr 11, 1984 – Replay – Dalymount Park – Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Shelbourne (Buckley)

Jan 14, 1996 – First Round – RDS – Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Shelbourne

Jan 16, 1996 – Replay – Tolka Park – Shelbourne 1-0 Shamrock Rovers

Jan 10, 1999 – First Round – Tolka Park – Shamrock Rovers 0-3 Shelbourne

Mar 26, 2001 – Quarter Final – Tolka Park – Shelbourne 1-1 Shamrock Rovers (Deans)

Mar 29, 2001 – Replay – Tolka Park – Shamrock Rovers 3-0 Shelbourne (Grant 2, Woods)

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Shamrock Rovers’ record against Shelbourne in the FAI Cup is Played 35, Won 17, Drew 9, Lost 9, Scored 46, Conceded 36. Out of 24 ties we have won 16 and lost 8. The first meeting was in 1925 when Rovers’ love affair with the Cup began, beating Shelbourne in the final for their very first trophy.

January 5, 1929 was an historic day for Rovers. They beat Shelbourne 3-2 at Glenmalure Park in the first round and in doing so took the first step on a long unbeaten journey which was to bring the Cup to Milltown for a record five years in a row.

Rovers needed two replays to knock them out in 1930 and beat them in the 1931 First Round as well. The Ringsend arch rivals met at Dalymount Park again in the 1944 final, Rovers winning the game 3-2. Shelbourne finally got the better of the Hoops in their sixth attempt in 1947, winning a playoff after the scores had been level on aggregate 24 hours earlier.

Shels achieved another win at Milltown in 1951 before three successive wins for Rovers from 1955 to 1957. In ’55, with 18,000 in attendance, former England international Frank Broome missed the first penalty of his career in the 10th minute and his side lost 3-0.

By 1956, every time Rovers beat Shels, they won the cup (7 times) but were runners-up in 1957. Overall in history, the club went on to win it 12/16 times. In 1960, in the heavy rain at Tolka Park, three goals in the first 17 minutes of the second half decided the tie for Shelbourne.

Rovers won a third final in a row against them in 1962. Four Shels players, Freddie Strahan, Eric Barber, John Heavey and Tommy Carroll, had been vaccinated against smallpox for a trip by the League of Ireland side to Italy and all four had suffered ill effects in the weeks preceeding the match.

It turned out later that the vaccincation for entry to Italy was not necessary but Rovers were by far the better team on the day regardless, winning 4-1. Tommy Hamilton turned on the style by scoring twice in his last competitive game for the club.

Shelbourne gained revenge in the semi-final the following year and just like in 1960, they went on to lift the trophy. The Hoops disposed of them in four straight seasons from 1966-69 as part of the famous six-in-a-row. In ’66, a Frank O’Neill penalty 13 minutes into extra-time won the replay at Tolka and another spot kick by O’Neill forced a replay in 1969, which was won by Mick Lawlor.

In 1970, Shelbourne won 2-1 in the first round at Milltown to end Rovers’ 32 game unbeaten run in the competition. In 1975, the Reds shocked Rovers with a goal in the last minute after Rovers had created most of the chances in the match but failed to take them. Shelbourne reached the final that year where they were surprised a very young Home Farm side who beat them 1-0.

The Hoops began the defence of the Cup under John Giles with a 2-1 win in 1979. 1984 saw a thrilling draw under the lights at Dalymount Park in front of almost 15,000. Joyce gave Shels a 39th minute lead and Rovers got a 75th minute equaliser through substitute Peter Eccles, who had been pushed into a more forward role in recent weeks.

The replay took place the following Wednesday evening in the same venue. 23 year old Liam Buckley, who had been out for 6 weeks with a broken collar bone, got the winner. He replaced the injured Eccles in the 25th minute and scored a minute into the second half, when he slid Paul Mullen’s shot into the back of the net. Rovers lost to UCD in the final.

It was a scoreless draw in 1996. One side of the RDS was closed because of a stand redevelopment project and the pitch was waterlogged in places. A quality goal from Brian Flood won the replay at Tolka Park and after the game, a section of Rovers’ frustrated supporters were chanting for the resignation of Ray Treacy.

Rovers were ripped apart by their landlords in January 1999, where Pat Scully scored twice in 2 minutes. In the 2001 Quarter-Final, Pat Fenlon’s deflected shot earned a replay for Shels in the wet, blustery conditions; Pat Deans had given us a first half lead.

Rovers were at “home” in the replay at Tolka Park. Damien Richardson was Shelbourne boss in 1996 (which they went on to win) and now he was in his second season as manager of Rovers. Shelbourne were double winners and had not failed to reach the semis in any of the past six seasons.

But in front of 6,000 fans, a three goal blitz inside 13 second half minutes sealed a memorable victory for the Hoops, including a wonderful strike by Billy Woods.

Cup Notes

Shelbourne, Bohemians and Derry City are the only clubs to win both the FAI and IFA Cups. Only Rovers, Cork Hibernians, Shelbourne, Longford Town and Sligo have retained the FAI Cup.

William ‘Sacky’ Glen won 8 cup medals with Rovers and Shelbourne, a joint record with Johnny Fullam. Glen played in ten finals in total.

Apart from player-manager Liam Tuohy, Damien Richardson was the only member of Shamrock Rovers’ six-in-a-row squad of the 1960’s who went on to manage a team to FAI Cup glory. In contrast, from the Rovers’ three-in-a-row squad of the 1980’s, Dermot Keely, Pat Byrne and Paul Doolin all managed that feat.

When Dessie & Richie Baker and Stephen & Declan Geoghegan helped Shelbourne defeat Bohemians in the 2000 Cup final, it was the first time that two sets of brothers featured on an FAI Cup winning team.

Shelbourne participated in the first ever penalty shootout in the FAI Cup in 1990. Their second round replay with Bray remained scoreless after extra time, Shels’ Philly Power missed the first penalty and his side eventually lost 4-1.

Shelbourne’s record FAI Cup win is 9-0 at home to Bray Unknowns in the First Round on January 6, 1923. Their record defeat is 4-0, to Bohemians in 1945 and Derry in 1987, both away.

Post-Milltown Managers: League winning percentages

Michael O’Neill – 108 games (58%)

Alan O’Neill & Terry Eviston – 14 games (57%)

Pat Scully – 98 games (44%)

Stephen Kenny – 24 games (42%)

Damien Richardson – 99 games (40%)

Ray Treacy – 131 games (39%)

Noel King – 118 games (38%)

Liam Buckley – 88 games (35%)

Mick Byrne – 66 games (35%)

Pat Byrne – 32 games (31%)

Roddy Collins – 35 games (31%)

Shortest Reigning Managers
1. Shay Keogh – 2 days in 1973/74
2. Alan O'Neill – 2 weeks in 2005
3. Jim Crawford – 1 month in 2008
4. Noel Synnott – 2 months in 2004
5. Noel Campbell – 3 months in 1982/83
6. Arthur Fitzsimons – 3 months in 1969/70
7. Douglas Wood – 4 months in 1973/74
8. Billy Young - 6 months in 1971/72
9. Paddy Ambrose – 7 months in 1971/72
10. Alan O'Neill & Terry Eviston - 7 months from 1995/96 to 1996/97
11. Stephen Kenny - 9 months in 2012
12. Pat Byrne - 9 months in 1996/97

In the history of the club, Stephen Kenny is one of 13 managers who did not complete a full season. Roddy Collins, not listed above, was here for a little over a year.

Arthur Fitzsimons was in charge from August-October 1969, when he was handed a letter by club chairman Joe Cunningham informing him of his dismissal.

Like Fitzsimons, Billy Young was given insufficient time to prove himself and suffered the same fate with the directors trying to interfere with his team selections. He was sacked shortly after a 3-1 defeat to Waterford in November 1971.

Paddy Ambrose took over as caretaker manager for the remainder of the season. Following the resignation of Liam Tuohy on December 20, 1973, Shay Keogh, who had been in the position of technical advisor to the club, was appointed manager with Douglas Wood but Keogh resigned just two days later. Wood, along with Shay Noonan and Nick Giles looked after team affairs from then until the end of the season.

Noel Campbell, assistant manager at the time, was in charge from February-May 1983 after John Giles' six seasons had come to an end. Alan O'Neill & Terry Eviston replaced Ray Treacy on January 23, 1996.

Despite winning 8 out of 14 league games they were sacked after the opening day of the following season, on September 3, 1996. Pat Byrne was then the Hoops boss until Mick Byrne took over the reins in the summer of 1997.

Noel Synnott was interim manager in 2004, in between Liam Buckley and Roddy Collins, who was suspended on November 16, 2005 with three games left. O'Neill briefly returned as the club lost a playoff to Dublin City and were relegated for the only time in history.

When Rovers and Pat Scully parted ways on October 14, 2008, Jim Crawford lost 3 and drew 1 of his four games in temporary charge.

Interim Managers

Rovers’ last three interim managers all failed to win a game – the last man to gain a victory was Dougie Wood, who was also the only other Scotsman to manage the Hoops. The left half was from Musselburgh and age 33 at the time (still playing), three years younger than Glass.

An interim boss has never won his first game in charge. On October 18, 2008, Rovers were beaten 3-1 by St. Pat’s under Jim Crawford with Ryan Guy scoring a hat-trick. Ronan Finn scored a late equaliser and his first ever LOI goal for UCD in Alan O’Neill’s first game on November 18, 2005.

Noel Synnott saw his side draw 1-1 with Cork City on September 11, 2004 and the short lived management team of Wood & Keogh lost their first game 2-1 at Drogheda United on December 23, 1973. Paddy Ambrose’s Rovers lost 3-1 at home to Finn Harps on November 28, 1971.

Under Wood, Rovers were immediately knocked out of the FAI Cup and finished 7th in the league. Rovers lost a Dublin City Cup semi-final tie to Cork Hibernians and came 5th during Ambrose’s reign.

Jim Crawford – Won 0, Drew 1, Lost 3

Alan O’Neill – Won 0, Drew 2, Lost 1

Noel Synnott – Won 0, Drew 3, Lost 5

Douglas Wood – Won 9, Drew 2, Lost 7

Paddy Ambrose – Won 9, Drew 4, Lost 9

Hoops & Villans

Former Shamrock Rovers left-back Enda Stevens recently made his Aston Villa debut, creating the first goal in the 3-0 win over Tranmere in the League Cup.

Pat Daly and Ossie Higgins joined Aston Villa from Shamrock Rovers in November 1949, after impressing in a game between the clubs in Birmingham. Centre-half Daly, 21 at the time, had earned his one and only cap for Ireland a couple of months earlier. He was signed as a replacement for Dicky Dorsett but failed to settle at Villa Park.

He returned home after making just 4 appearances, winning the 51/52 LOI Shield with Rovers. Higgins was an 18 year old centre-forward who did not make any senior appearances for Villa, moving to Ipswich Town in 1952 and then Transport in the League Ireland a year later. Daly died on New Year’s Day 2003, Higgins passed away in 2000.

Former Scottish U-21 international Neil Tarrant signed for the Hoops in August 1997 but only made 2 substitute appearances before being released in November (age 18). He spent two seasons at Ross County and signed for Villa for £250,000. The striker never made a competitive appearance and was loaned out to three different clubs, returning to Scotland in 2001. Was most recently with Northallerton Town in the tenth tier of English football.

Lee Williams began his youth career with Aston Villa in January 1991. The former England youth international, a right winger, went on to play for Shrewsbury (loan) and Peterborough, making the move to Rovers in September 1996 at age 23. Williams made 14 league appearances under Pat Byrne that season and scored the extra-time winner in the 5-4 FAI Cup victory over Limerick on January 12, 1997 at Tolka Park. Joined Mansfield Town in March of that year and later played for Cheltenham.

Chris Turner

Chris Turner was released from his contract by mutual consent last month and has joined Dumbarton in the Scottish First Division. In three seasons with Rovers, he made 100 appearances (plus one against Monaghan) and scored 13 goals, with 66 appearances and 6 goals in the league.

He had 6 assists, 26 yellow cards and 2 red cards. Turner’s most notable goals came against Flora Tallinn last year, Rovers’ first ever in the Champions League and the winner in the 2010 FAI Cup semi-final replay at Richmond Park.

New Signings #11 – Tommy Stewart

Tommy Stewart’s youth career began at Portadown in 2001 before he moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2003. He spent three years at Molineux, two of them alongside Pat Flynn. He was the youth team’s top goalscorer and part of the club’s run to the FA Youth Cup semi-final in 2005, drawing 3-3 on aggregate with Southampton and losing on penalties.

Stewart was released by the club and signed for Linfield on September 11th, 2006. He scored on his debut for the Blues on September 30th, scoring the fourth goal with a low strike past the keeper in a 4-0 win over Limavady at Limavady Showgrounds.

He scored 13 goals in 24 (20) league games for Linfield as he and Alan Mannus won back to back league and cup doubles. He made a substitute appearance in the 2007 Cup final, didn’t play in 2008 and also made two sub appearances in the Champions League. Stewart signed for Stephen Kenny’s Derry City in June 2008 and made his debut in a scoreless draw in Sligo on July 5th.

He scored in the 4-0 win over Bray at the Brandywell a week later and the Craigavon man came off the bench in the League Cup Final victory over Wexford Youths that year. He scored four goals in the opening six league games of 2009, including the equaliser against Rovers on March 27th as ten-man Derry came from behind to become the first team to defeat the Hoops at Tallaght Stadium.

Stewart played in Derry’s Europa League campaign that season and scored 10 goals in 32 (11) league appearances in total for the club. He signed for Carolina Railhawks in March 2010, a second tier club in the US who Stephen Glass played for last season. However, a lack of a work visa saw Stewart begin his first his spell with Shamrock Rovers instead.

He made his debut in the 0-0 draw with UCD on April 5th at Tallaght Stadium. The 25 year old scored 10 goals in 33 (11) appearances in all competitions that season, with 4 assists and 5 bookings. Stewart became quite fond of scoring against St. Pat’s with half of his goals coming against the Saints, bagging a brace at Richmond Park in April and another in a home game in July.

He scored the all-important second goal in the 2-2 draw with Bray on the title-winning night at the Carlisle Grounds and the only goal of the game against Bnei Yehuda in the Europa League on July 15th. Aiden Price flicked on a long throw in from Stephen Rice and Stewart scored from close range to earn Rovers a glamour tie with Juventus in the next round.

Stewart publicly expressed disappointment that himself, Alan Mannus and Chris Turner were ignored by Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington in his time at Tallaght. He had played for their youths right through to the U-23’s and captained the U-21 team. He scored 4 goals in 19 appearances for the U-21’s, including a strike against Germany in September 2006.

On May 13, 2008 in Lurgan, he played in Northern Ireland U-23’s 1-0 defeat to Republic of Ireland, playing against Conor Powell, Killian Brennan and Stephen Rice, who scored an injury time winner. Stewart then moved to Partick Thistle in the Scottish First Division, under Jackie McNamara, a former teammate at Wolves.

The striker made his debut in their 2-1 defeat at home to Falkirk on April 12, 2011 and got his first goal at Dundee a couple of weeks later. He scored 3 in 26 league games in total for The Jags, his only goals in the 2011-12 season coming in a 5-0 win over Morton and a 2-1 victory over Stenhousemuir in the League Challenge Cup.