Shamrock Rovers 1 - 0 Dundalk

Shamrock Rovers ended Dundalk’s interest in the 2013 EA Sports Cup on Tuesday evening as they battled to a 1-0 victory. A wonderful strike from Ciaran Kilduff ten minutes after the break gave the Hoops the narrowest of wins.

Dundalk made three changes from the side which beat Shelbourne at home 11 days ago with John Mountney, Stephen McDonnell and Darren Meenan coming in for Andy Boyle, Stephen O’Donnell and John Dillon while for the hosts there were five changes from the side which drew with Bohemians on Friday night with Richard Brush, Alan Kehoe, Ken Oman, Stephen Rice and James Chambers replaced Barry Murphy, Jason McGuinness, Derek Foran, Billy Dennehy and Ronan Finn.

The home side had the better of the opening exchanges and really should have taken the lead after 8 minutes when Gary McCabe crossed for Thomas Stewart but his header was brilliantly saved by Peter Cherrie. The ball didn’t go far though and Shane Robinson smashed the ball against the post when it seemed easier to score and Dundalk survived.

Robinson headed over moments later from McCabe’s corner before Dundalk made their first foray into the Rovers’ half when Vinny Faherty warmed the hands of Richard Brush with a low cross.

It was then that the Lilywhites began to get a real foothold in the game and created chances of their own. Kurtis Byrne was inches away from connecting from a brilliant Darren Meenan cross but the ball went wide. Keith Ward then had the visitors best chance of the half when Keith Ward capitalised on a loose pass from David Elebert but his shot from distance was straight at Brush.

The first half overall was a scrappy affair and on the stroke of half-time McCabe had a shot blocked on the edge of the box and it was scoreless at the break.

Dundalk began the brighter in the second half with Byrne having a shot from long distance which sailed wide. Byrne had an excellent chance to give the visitors the lead within minutes of the re-start when he picked the ball up 30 yards from goal and played a neat one-two with Faherty but he took too much time and his shot was eventually blocked from 10 yards.

The Hoops made Dundalk pay for that missed opportunity on 56 minutes when Dundalk’s Dane Massey misplaced a pass straight to Ciaran Kilduff. The striker advanced a few yards before unleashing a rasping shot which flew into the top corner to give the Tallaght side the lead.

Dundalk responded well to going behind and they had a good chance to equalise when Meenan’s cross eventually found its way to Ward but he snatched at the shot and it hit the side netting. Eoghan Osborne found John Mountney soon after but his touch, when through on goal, wasn’t strong enough and the ball found its way to Brush.

Substitute Sean O’Connor brought a good save from Cherrie as his shot from the right hand side was pushed away well by the ‘keeper. Coming into the final 10 minutes, Dundalk had a good chance when Richie Towell got on the end of a Mountney pass but his shot was deflected into the arms of goalkeeper Brush.

O’Connor had a shot excellently blocked by Andy Boyle before Osborne released Towell in a typical counter attack but the former Celtic man’s volley went just wide of the goal. Towell once had a chance when Faherty crossed from a quick free-kick but once again it was directed wide of the goal.

Substitute John Dillon had a great effort for Dundalk when he drilled wide of the right hand post with four minutes remaining. Ward had Dundalk’s best chance of the match for Dundalk but his shot from just outside the box was expertly tipped around the post by Brush.

That was as good as it got for the Louth men as they fell to defeat although they will feel they could have got more.

Shamrock Rovers: Richard Brush; Conor McCormack, Ken Oman, David Elebert, Alan Kehoe (Jason McGuinness 69); Gary McCabe (Sean O’Connor 54), Shane Robinson (Ronan Finn 90), Stephen Rice, James Chambers; Ciaran Kilduff, Thomas Stewart.
Subs not used: Conor Powell, Karl Sheppard, Dean Ebbe, Conor Winn (GK).

Booked: James Chambers (58), Stephen Rice (89)

Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Richie Towell, John Sullivan, Dane Massey, Eoghan Osborne; John Mountney, Stephen McDonell (Andy Boyle 64); Darren Meenan (Tiarnan Mulvenna 74), Keith Ward; Kurtis Byrne (John Dillon 78), Vinny Faherty.
Subs not used:, Patrick Hoban, Mark Rossiter, Ciaran O’Connor, Aaron Shanahan (GK)

Booked: Richie Towell (11), Darren Meenan (49)

Referee: Paul Tuite.

Attendance: 500 (estimate)

Extratime.ie man of the match: Stephen Rice (Shamrock Rovers).