Monaghan United 0 - 1 Shelbourne
Credit:
Anto Flood came off the bench for the second week in a row to score the winner for Shelbourne as they beat Monaghan United by 1-0 on Friday night in an entertaining game of attacking football. Shels' win puts them top of the table with UCD on 6 points after two games.
Both sides had created a number of chances in the first hour with perhaps the home side shading it, but a double substitution on 65 minutes by Reds' manager Dermot Keely turned the game. Derek Doyle replaced Mark O'Brien , freeing David Cassidy to move into midfield where he took a grip on the game, while the talismanic Anto Flood came on up front for Madden.
In the starting line-out, Shelbourne's Alan Keely missed out due to a chest infection and was replaced by Stephen Quigley who slotted in at right back allowing captain Daisy Brennan to play alongside Kevin Doherty - who passed a late fitness test - in central defence where they previously forged a successful partnership while together at Longford Town.
Monaghan made one change with Cathal O'Connor coming in for the suspended Barry Clancy on the left of midfield.
With a strong wind behind them in the first half, Monaghan ensured that Delaney was the busier keeper, with Cathal O’Connor and Don Tierney both going close just after thirteen minutes. McAllister for Shelbourne struck the ball sweetly from twenty yards out but it went into keeper Brendan Kennedy's arms.
On the half hour mark, both sides probably had their best chances to open the scoring. First Kevin Doherty flashed a header inches over the bar, while on the counter-attack Karl Bermingham sneaked in behind the visitor's defence only to shoot narrowly wide.
The second half continued in a similar vein, with a Don Tierney pile-driver shaving the upright for the Mons while the Reds replied with a Richie Baker header cleared off the line, representing more opportunities to score. However on sixty five minutes, David Cassidy forced a shot which Kennedy could only parry into the path of Anthony 'Bisto' Flood and Shelbourne’s leading striker from last season made no mistake as he put it away into the net to score what turned out to be another winning goal.
Monaghan United: Brendan Kennedy, Paul Whelan, Aiden Lynch (Mooney 66), Brian Gartland, Shane Grimes; Sean Brennan, Don Tierney (McKenna 90), Alan Byrne, Cathal O’Connor (Hanaphy 82); Karl Birmingham, David Freeman.
Subs not used: Charlie Treacy (gk), Stephen McCrossan.
Shelbourne: Dean Delaney; Stephen Quigley (David McGill 68), Kevin Doherty, Damien Brennan, David Crawley; Mark O’Brien (Derek Doyle 65) , David McAllister, David Cassidy, Richie Baker; Peter Hynes, Paddy Madden (Anto Flood 65).
Subs not used: Vinny Whelan, Robbie Hedderman.
Referee: Darren Coombes
Attendance: 330
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: David Cassidy (Shelbourne).
