Rovers  (1) 1  - Sheppard 42'    
Bohemian FC (0) 0 -              
 

Airtricity League - Tallaght Stadium - Monday 30th May 2011 

Hoops Line out
1 Alan Mannus
2 Pat Sullivan
3 Enda Stevens
4 Craig Sives
17 Ken Oman
7 Gary McCabe
21 Ronan Finn
18 Chris Turner
8 Stephen O'Donnell
9 Gary Twigg (c)
10 Karl Sheppard

Substitutes

5 Dan Murray
11 Ciaran Kilduff
14 Dean Kelly 
16 Ryan Thompson
19 Gary O'Neill
for O'Donnell 68'
20 Billy Dennehy
for Sheppard 74'
22 Conor McCormack
for Turner 85'
 

Karl Sheppard..vital goal for Rovers

Karl Sheppard scored the vital goal as Rovers kept their 100% Tallaght record against the Gypsies. Ex-Hoop Aidan Price was red-carded in the 53rd minute but Rovers failed to get the second insurance goal to ensure a nervy ending.

Michael O’Neill rang the changes from last Thursday’s defeat in Bray with Turner, O’Donnell, Sives and Finn all starting. Gary Twigg took the Captain’s armband with Dan Murray settling for a place on the bench.

The Gypsies started the game well and Brennan’s corner needed Sheppard and Oman to clear in front of goal as Flood threatened. Stephen O’Donnell’s early free-kick didn’t trouble O’Connor in the Bohs goal.

O’Connor fluffed his clearance in the 5th minute but the ball rebounded off McCabe to safety. Ken Oman’s defensive header fell to Brennan on 9 minutes but his snap shot went wide. A minute later a fine run by Sheppard set up Ronan Finn for a shot fom just outside the box and he forced O’Connor into a diving save.

The good start to the game petered out as both sides cancelled each other in a congested midfield. Ken Oman headed O’Donnell’s corner wide on 20 mins and eight mins later Sheppard’s cross was to high for McCabe.

Pat Sullivan tried his luck from 25 ysrds out just before the half-hor mark and his shot went just over the bar. Finn followed this up with a shot that hit Twigg in front of goal. In the 32nd minute Pat Sullivan won a corner and O’Donnell played the ball short to Finn whose low cross found Twigg but Burns got to the ball before the Hoops Captain.

The Gypsies were not committing players forward but Anto Flood caused some problems on 34 mins when he turned in the area to shoot across goal. On 35 mins Brennan pulled Finn back just outside the area but once again O’Donnell’s free-kick was comfortably saved by O’Connor.

The visitors were defending deep now and three Rovers crosses into the box were well defended but on 42 minutes Enda Stevens found Gary McCabe on the left and his deep cross beat Price and was met by Karl Sheppard and he placed his header into the corner of the net.

It was the breakthrough the Hoops needed and before the whistle for the break Ken Oman flashed a header wide and Ronan Fin took Twigg’s flick on to shoot low on target but O’Connor made a fine save.

The second-half started tamely enough with Gary McCabe shooting wide and then crossing low across goal after Finn had dispossessed Ger O’Brien. However the game erupted in the 53rd minute when Gary Twigg looked to control Turner’s pass and as he turned towards goal he tangled with Aiden Price and Ref. Alan Kelly adjudged that Price had pulled the Scot back and as he was the last defender he showed the ex-Hoop a straight red card.

The resultant free-kick saw Chris Turner roll the ball to Finn but his shot was just off target. Finn then almost sent Twigg in on goal with an exquisite pass over the Bohs defence.

The Gypsies regrouped and Brennan’s free-kick was headed clear by Sullivan on 57 mins and a minute later O’Connor punched a corner clear under pressure from Sives.

On 61 minutes O’Donnell lost possession and Bayly raced forward and split the Hoops defence with a ball for Fagan to run on goal and he ran into the area but Alan Mannus advanced and timed his dive to perfection to take the ball at the feet of Fagan and relieve the danger.

Rovers needed a second goal and began to pass the ball around with confidence. Karl Sheppard ran on to a quick free-kick and shot across goal with Twigg unable to make the vital connection.

Stevens raided down the left on 63 mins and his cross fell to Turner but his volley went wide. On 65 mins another free-kick from Brennan needed a smart save from Mannus.

A McCabe corner on 71 mins saw another great catch from O’Connor. With ten minutes remaining a Billy Dennehy free-kick from the right was headed for a corner by Flood and McCabe took the resultant kick short to Finn and his cross saw O’Connor push the ball out as far as Sives and his shot in front of goal was blocked before the Bohs defence scrambled the ball away.

A minute later substitute Gary O’Neill played Twigg in on goal but Heary got a touch to the ball and O’Connor cleared but McCabe returned the ball to Dennehy in the box but he shot straight at O’Connor.

On 84 mins a great cross by O’Neill needed O’Connor to palm away the ball as Twiggy rose to head on goal. Ronan Finn then tried to get Twigg on a run but the ball rebounded off Heary straight to Dennehy who ran into the area only to shoot past O’Connor and wide of the left-hand post.

With a minute of normal time remaining Enda Stevens long ball bounced over Heary and Dennehy raced into the area but stumbled after contact with the Bohs defender and the chance was lost.

The three minutes of added on time saw Bohs throw everything into attack and O’Connor’s free-kick from the half-way line forced Mannus to race from his line to punch away. Another long free-kick from O’Connor saw the ball fall to Brennan 25 yards out and his shot was comfortably saved by Mannus in what was the last action of the game.