UCD (0) 1 - Benson 70'
Rovers (0) 2 - Oman 68' Kelly 90+4'           
 

Airtricity League - UCD Bowl - Tuesday 25th October 2011

Hoops Line out
1 Richard Brush
2 Pat Sullivan
3 Enda Stevens
4 Craig Sives  
5 Dan Murray (c)
18 Rohan Ricketts
22 Conor McCormack 
21 Ronan Finn
7 Gary McCabe
10 Karl Sheppard
11 Ciaran Kilduff

Substitutes
17 Ken Oman
for Kilduff 48'
8 Stephen O'Donnell
for Finn 63'
14 Dean Kelly
for Ricketts 80'
6 Stephen Rice
16 Ryan Thompson
23 Jim Paterson
19 Gary O'Neill

Rovers clinched League Title number 17 in a dramatic fairy tale ending in the UCD Bowl. Dean Kelly was sprung from the bench to tap home the winner after Ken Oman's superb header was cancelled out by UCD's Benson. Rovers were down to ten men from the 47th minute following Craig Sives harsh sending-off although the Students themselves were reduced to ten in the 80th minute following another harsh decision.

Rovers started brightly in an otherwise flat opening half. In the first minute Kilduff set up McCabe to run into the box and only a fine save from 'keeper McGinley and the outside of the post denied the Hoops the lead.

A Sheppard header saw Kilduff get behind the Students defence but a defender got back to deny him a shot. Paul O'Connor's shot from 25 yards wasn't far wide as the home side warmed to their task.

A good run from McCormack down the left saw the Louth man cross low into the box but Kilduff couldn't get the vital connection. McCabe then crossed from the left but again the vital touch in front of goal was missing.

The Students had their best chance on 24 minutes when a cross from Marshall was headed away by Sives only for Meenan to shoot on goal but fortunately the ball missed the target.

Benson had a half-chance on 32 minutes and Rusk glanced a header just wide of the Rovers goal and the Home side grew in confidence.

A good run forward by Craig Sives on 41 minutes ended with Stevens crossing into the box and the Scottish defender saw his shot blocked for a corner. Just before the break Karl Sheppard was adjudged to have handled the ball before shooting past McGinley.

The second-half was just two minutes old when Craig Sives mis-controlled the ball in midfield and he caught a UCD player as he stretched to retrieve the ball. Ref. Doyle showed a second yellow card much to the disbelief of the majority of the crowd.

Richard Brush was alert to block a Benson shot just a minute later but the Hoops regrouped and started to put the Students under some pressure.

Gary McCabe and Karl Sheppard worked tirelessly to try breach the home defence but the Students held firm. McCabe fired a free-kick straight at the home'keeper on 62 minutes.

In the 68th minute a one-two between McCabe and Sheppard saw the ball blocked for a corner and McCabe's delivery was powerfully met by Oman to head across goal and into the net.

The jubilation in the crowd was short lived as two minutes later a UCD corber saw Bensod run to the near post and his decisive flick beat Brush and a goal was awarded as Stevens stretched to hook tha ball away.

The character of the Hoops team came centre stage as they knuckled down to scrap their way back into the game and McCabe was fouled right at the edge of the area but his delivery into the box was cleared.

On 75 minutes another delivery from McCabe was met by the head of Sheppard in front of goal but he directed his diving header just wide.

Yet another McCabe free-kick, this time from the right, went to the far post and Murray headed the ball across goal for Sheppard to head on target but a diving McGinley somehow clawed the ball away and UCD survived.

UCD were reduced to ten men when Meenan was harshly carded for a foul on McCormack in the 80th minute. Rovers pushed on and Sheppard was in the thick of the action especially in the 90th minute when Oman flicked tha ball on but he couldn't force his shot on target.

Three minutes of the allotted four were already used up when Stevens delivered a good cross but the home defence cleared.

Pat Sullivan launched a final long ball that fell to Sheppard and he combined well with O'Donnell to send the Hoops number 8 in on the left and his shot on goal was deflected into the path of Dean Kelly and he slotted the ball home to ignite the Hoops faithful into rapturous celebration.