Rovers  (1) 4  - Rice 15' McCabe 48' Twigg 66' Dennehy 90'      
Galway Utd (0) 0 -                
 

Airtricity League - Tallaght Stadium - Friday 17th June 2011 

Hoops Line out
1 Alan Mannus
2 Pat Sullivan
22 Conor McCormack
5 Dan Murray (c)
17 Ken Oman
7 Gary McCabe
8 Stephen O'Donnell
6 Stephen Rice
20 Billy Dennehy
9 Gary Twigg
19 Gary O'Neill

Substitutes
21 Ronan Finn
for O'Donnell 62'
3 Enda Stevens

4 Craig Sives
18 Chris Turner
for Rice 78'
11 Ciaran Kilduff
for Twigg 73'
10 Karl Sheppard
16 Ryan Thompson

Stephen Rice...scored after 15 minutes

Rovers ran out comfortable winners in the end as a spirited Galway side frustrated the Hoops especially in the first half but only a fine display by 'keeper Greg Fleming kept the score at four.

After a lacklustre start to the game in which the visitors forced Alan Mannus into a save after 13 minutes when Ryan set up Dusi to shoot from 25 yards, a fine through ball from Stephen O’Donnell in the 15th minute found Stephen Rice rushing into the box and he shot past the advancing ‘keeper to open the scoring and lift the Tallaght crowd.

Three minutes later an O’Donnell cross saw Ken Oman head across goal for Gary O’Neill to turn and shoot and force Fleming into a fine reaction save. Another O’Donnell ball two minutes later saw O’Neill and Dennehy sent clear but the Linesman flagged for offside as Dennehy shot into the net.

Gilmore shot across goal after hesitancy from Rovers Captain Dan Murray on 22 minutes but Murray atoned for his mistake when he headed away a dangerous Ryan free-kick just three minutes later.

Gary Twigg saw his goal bound shot hit a defender after he latched on to Dennehy’s pass after 31 minutes. The game produced little of note until the 41st minute when Oman’s high speculative long ball saw O’Neill run clear but his attempted lob over the ’keeper went just over.

Gary Twigg then hit the side-netting when played in by O’Donnell on 42 minutes as the half finished with Rovers only a goal to the good.

However the second-half was just three minutes old when Dennehy raced past the defence and crossed low for Gary McCabe to shoot low with his left foot past Fleming and into the corner of the net.

On 54 minutes O’Neill and Twigg set up McCabe to cross for Dennehy to shoot at the ’keeper and Twigg’s follow-up shot went wide. O’Donnell played O’Neill in two minutes later but Sinnot blocked his shot.

Ronan Finn replaced O’Donnell on 62 minutes and just four minutes later his brilliant pass opened up the Galway defence and Dennehy raced in on goal and unselfishly crossed for Twigg to shoot into an empty net.

Kelly denied McCabe a certain goal from Twigg’s pass on 71 minutes before McCabe’s cross from the right a minute later saw Twigg’s point blank header brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Fleming. Fleming then denied Twigg again as the Scotsman raced in on goal.

It was all Rovers now with the Tribesmen on the ropes but the impressive Karl Moore almost played Cauldwell in on goal on 80 minutes but Murray got across to intercept his pass.

The last ten minutes saw numerous chances for Rovers to extend their lead with Oman’s diving header going just wide on 81 minutes. Dennehy then ran into the box on the left and his low shot forced Fleming to save and the Galway ’keeper then saved Finn’s follow up shot and O’Neill couldn’t force the rebound on goal.

Kilduff then had what looked like a good goal ruled out for offside before O’Neill shot over when well placed in the box and with two minutes remaining a McCabe cross saw three Rovers players queuing up to score but Kilduff knocked the ball over the bar.

Dennehy’s cross on 89 minutes saw O’Neill flick the ball on but Kilduff steered his shot wide. The Hoops finally got a fourth when good play by O’Neill set up Dennehy on the left and he deservedly got on the score sheet when he drilled the ball past the overworked Fleming in the Galway goal.