Rovers (1) 1 - Murray 32' 
Bohemians (0) 1 - Cronin 60'          
 

Airtricity League - Tallaght Stadium - Wednesday 5th October 2011

Hoops Line out
1 Richard Brush
2 Pat Sullivan
4 Craig Sives    
5 Dan Murray (c)
17 Jim Paterson 
20 Billy Dennehy  
 21 Ronan Finn
6 Stephen Rice
7 Gary McCabe
 9 Gary Twigg
19 Gary O'Neill

Substitutes
11 Ciaran Kilduff
for Twigg ht
18 Chris Turner
for Rice 66'
14 Rohan Ricketts
for O'Neill 78'
3 Enda Stevens
10 Karl Sheppard
16 Ryan Thompson
22 Conor McCormack

The Hoops were frustrated by a battling Bohs team that played all of the 2nd half with ten men following Aidan Downes 44th dismissal. Captain Dan Murray headed the opening goal but a lacklustre display in the second period saw Glen Cronin equalise.

On a blustery night in Tallaght it took a while for the game to get going and it wasn't until the 18th minute that Gary Twigg forced Barry Murphy into a save with a volley from the edge of the box.

Rovers then forced a number of corners after good work from Twigg, O'Neill and Paterson but each time the delivery failed to breach the visitors defence. Ronan Finn was wasteful when Paterson played him in down the left and a defender was able to clear.

Rovers continued to pressure the Bohs defence and Gary McCabe shot over the bar following a quickly taken corner and when Twigg got the better of Price on the left-hand side of the Bohs six-yard area he shot into the side-netting after 25 minutes.

On 27 minutes a Pat Sullivan cross was met by the head of O'Neill but Barry Murphy got across to push the ball away. A minute later Bohs number seven Forrestor ran into the Hoops area and although he initially beat Pat Sullivan he hesitated and the chance was lost.

On 32 minutes Pat Sullivan won a corner off Aiden Proce and Dennehy crossed into the box for Dan Murray to rise above the defence to plant a header into the corner of the net.

Rovers failed to capitalise on their deserved lead and the game became scrappy. Brennan didn't connect properly with a shot from the edge of the box on 38 minutes but the game was to explode just before the break.

Stehen Rice was harshly adjudged to have comitted a foul on the edge of the area and Killian Brennan stepped up to fire his shot off the right-hand post. From the follow-up Aidan Downes went down in the box and Ref. Tomney issued a second yellow card for diving.

In the last seconds of the half Dennehy's cross was met by McCabe but his effort went just wide.

The Hoops never got going in the second-half with only a shot from Dennehy that didn't trouble Murphy to show for their efforts in the first 15 minutes.

On the hour Anto Flood chased a ball down the left and his cross to the edge of the area was met by the inrushing Cronin and he guided the ball past Richard Brush for the equaliser.

Chris Turner entered the fray and on 69 minutes he clashed wit Barry Murphy when trying to get on the end of Kilduff's ball in the area.

Gary O'Neill headed over from Paterson's cross on 74 minutes as Rovers tried to get behind the Bohs defence. Substitute Rohan Ricketts flashed a ball across the Bohs goal on 82 minutes but to no avail.

With 5 minutes remaining Gary McCabe made space for himself on the right and his cross picked out Kilduff in front of goal but the Hoops number eleven headed just wide of Murphy's goal.

The frustration was growing in the Hoops team as Ref. Tomney ruled harshly against Chris Turner in the box following a Sullivan cross but there was one last chance for Rovers in the 4 minutes of added-on time.

A Paterson free-kick into the area was knocked on by Sives and the ball fell in front of Dennehy but he sent his volley over the cross-bar on the right-hand side of the box.

Pat Sullivan showed great pace to race back and cut out sub Christy Fagan's run on goal in the dying seconds to ensure that the Hoops secured at least a point.