League Report: Shelbourne 1 - 1 Cobh Ramblers

Shelbourne missed out on an opportunity to close the gap on the teams above them in the First Division table after they could only manage a 1-1 draw with Cobh Ramblers in Tolka Park.

Stephen Kenny put the visiting side ahead in the 29^th minute against the run of play with a well-taken goal created by stand-out performer, Shane O'Connor. Shels were frustrated in their attempts to create clearcut opportunities for much of the game, but did find an equaliser in the 61^st minute when Philly Hughes nodded home from another of game's bright sparks, Dylan McGlade.

The result keeps the Reds in fourth place in the table, but with UCD being held to a goalless draw by table-proppers Waterford United, Kevin Doherty's side missed a trick in not closing the gap on the Students who dropped to third following Wexford Youths' 3-1 win over league leaders Finn Harps in Ballybofey.

Stephen Henderson, meanwhile, will be happy with another point from the capital – it was Cobh's third draw in their last three league trips to Dublin.

The opening period of the game was frantic, both sides trading efforts on goal, with the Reds closest to opening the scoring – firstly, McGlade made his presence known in the eighth minute when turned on the edge of the box and fired a shot away which Rams 'keeper Stephen Hickey did well to tip around the post.

Then, veteran striker Hughes passed up a glorious opportunity to net his second goal of the season. Reds winger Gareth Coughlan put a low ball into the box and Hughes got across his man but scooped his close-range effort over the bar when he should have at least hit the target.

Two minutes later, Shels were almost made to pay for Hughes' miss when O'Connor nearly punished an Evan Osam slip in the box – but Cobh's number ten could only fire straight at Shels keeper Greg Murray from a narrow angle.

However, Cobh did take the lead against the run of play in the 29^th minute when the Reds rearguard was caught ball-watching.

O'Connor, the heartbeat of Cobh's forays forward, crossed to the far side of the box where the onrushing Kenny found himself hopelessly unmarked. Murray came out to meet him but went down too early, allowing the Cobh winger to waltz by him and fire home the first goal of the game.

The goal took the sting out of the Shels' momentum up to that point and they never recovered it during the remainder of the first-half. Doherty reshuffled the pack at half-time, removing right-back Darragh Gannon from the fray and bringing on Conor Earley, with McGlade moving into centre-midfield and Craig Walsh dropping into the heart of the defence.

Hughes and Coughlan both saw good chances passed up before Mark Sandford thought he had equalised for Shels when he had time to shoot inside the box – his effort crashed off the underside of the crossbar, bounced down and back into play. It didn't count, but it had shades of the second goal of Geoff Hurst's 1966 World Cup final hat-trick against West Germany.

However, Shels finally did find a way to goal and it came through that man, Philly Hughes in the 61^st minute. The 33 year old striker was well placed to make the most of McGlade's telling cross to finally get on the scoresheet with a textbook header, his 133rd League of Ireland goal.

Moments later, McGlade was causing havoc again when he ran at the Cobh backline and was fouled on the edge of the box by Graham McCarthy, who picked up the game's first caution. Up stepped resident free-kick specialist Coughlan, but his effort fizzed just wide of the far post.

Cobh tried to slow the game down as it ticked towards its conclusion, but still posed a threat on the break. Some good hold up play by Ryan Goldsmith seven minutes from time allowed Cobh to advance upfield.

The winger spun his man and charged towards the heart of the Shels defence, laying the ball off to Kenny who couldn't double his tally for the evening – he fired straight at Murray, with the home fans in Tolka Park breathing a collective sigh of relief.

Shels had the last chance of note in the game when Adam O'Connor rose highest to meet a cross at the back post in stoppage time, but he couldn't make it two goals from two games following last week's sensational strike against UCD – he nodded his effort into the ground and wide of the near post, and that was that.

Shelbourne: Greg Murray; Darragh Gannon (Conor Earley, HT), Adam O'Connor, Sean Heaney, Evan Osam; Dylan McGlade, Daire Doyle, Craig Walsh, Gareth Coughlan; Mark Sandford, Philly Hughes (Alan O'Sullivan, 84).

Subs not used: Eric Donnelly (gk), Conor Keeley, Alan Kehoe, Colm Crowe, Jake Donnelly.

Bookings: None.

Cobh Ramblers: Stephen Hickey; Adam O'Sullivan, Brendan Frahill, James Furlong (Daniel Barry, 70), Kevin Mulcahy; Stephen Kenny, Darren Murphy (95), Graham McCarthy, Ryan Goldsmith; Shane O'Connor; Kynan Rocks (Chris McCarthy, 64).

Subs not used: David Curran.

Bookings: Kenny (49), G.McCarthy (63), O'Connor (90+2).

Referee: Andre Arciola (Malta).

Attendance: 467.

Extratime Man of the Match: Shane O'Connor (Cobh Ramblers).