Rovers (0) 6 -Twigg 62' Murray 64' Dennehy 67' O'Neill 69' Kilduff 82' Boyle og 90+1

U.C.D. (0) 0 -            
 

Airtricity League - Tallaght Stadium - Friday 12th August 2011

Hoops Line out
16 Ryan Thompson
2 Pat Sullivan
3 Enda Stevens
4 Craig Sives
5 Dan Murray (c)
14 Dean Kelly
22 Conor McCormack
20 Billy Dennehy
6 Stephen Rice   
9 Gary Twigg
19 Gary O'Neill

Substitutes
7 Gary McCabe
for Kelly 59'
11 Ciaran Kilduff
for McCormack 74'
8 Karl Moore
for Dennehy 69'
10 Karl Sheppard
1 Richard Brush
13 Pat Flynn
18 Lorcan Shannon

Following a scoreless first 61 minutes the Hoops went on a scoring spree and were four goals to the good just 7 minutes later! The second-half also saw swirling incessant rain and the visitors spirits were further dampened when defender Leahy put through his own goal in added-on time.

Although Gary Twigg shot over the bar after just two minutes it took a while for the game to get going. Gary O’Neill found space on the right but his low cross was well defended on 8 minutes and 3 minutes later UCD’s O’Connor shot across the Hoops goal.

Rovers first real chance came on 12 minutes. Goalkeeper Barron punched away Dean Kelly’s corner but the ball was returned into the box and Gary Twigg met the ball to shoot but Barron blocked his effort. The Scotsman then fired a 20 yard shot just wide of Barrons goal after Stephen Rice won possession of the ball.

Dean Kelly was wasteful after 16 minutes when he shot over the bar from the right-hand side of the box after good approach play by O’Neill and Rice.

The Students were dangerous on the break and O’Connor turned well outside the box but shot just wide of Thompson’s goal. Craig Sives then headed clear under pressure from O’Connor and Belhout couldn’t control the breaking ball.

On 29 minutes a fine through ball from O’Neill put Twigg in on the left but a defender got across to block his shot. Gary O’Neill got behind the visitors defence on 33 minutes but his low cross was cleared.

UCD defender Michael Leahy almost headed into his own goal after 37 minutes after Rice took a quick free-kick and this was the closest Rovers came to scoring in the first-half.

The Students had the first chance of the second-half but Thompson comfortably saved Graham Rusk’s shot. Rovers forced a couple of corners after 51 minutes but Twigg couldn’t steer his effort on target from Kelly’s corner.

Gary McCabe was introduced in the 59th minute and he livened up the Hoops attack. The game finally exploded into life in the 62nd minute when O’Neill turned well in midfield and sent McCabe on a run down the right and his deflected cross fell nicely for Twiggy to sweep the ball into the corner of the net.

Two minutes later Billy Dennehy ran into the UCD box and saw his shot deflected for a corner. His corner was cleared but McCabe returned the ball and it fell for Captain Murray to shoot into the top of the net.

There was much relief around the stadium and Rovers were well on top and Billy Dennehy pounced on a stray pass from a UCD defender to shoot first time past Bannon from just outside the box.

UCD were torn apart again just two minutes later when good approach play saw McCormack feed Stevens and his low cross saw O’Neill react quickest to squeeze the ball past Barron for Rovers fourth goal.

UCD to their credit kept going and Murray had to defend David O’Connor’s low cross but Rovers attacked at every opportunity and in the swirling rain substitute Kilduff forced Barron into a save before Twigg shot over the bar inside the box.

After 82 minutes Gary Twigg chased down an O’Neill through ball and as Barron expected the ball to go wide the Hoops top score got his foot to the ball to cross for Ciaran Kilduff to knock the ball home.

In the first minute of added-on time good work by new signing Karl Moore set up Enda Stevens to fire a cross into the area and the unfortunate Boyle headed powerfully into his own net under pressure from Kilduff. It rounded off a fine second-half performance by the Hoops.