League Report: Shelbourne 1 - 4 Cabinteely FC

A brace of goals in either half gave fourth placed Cabinteely an impressive 4-1 victory over Shelbourne in the SSE Airtricity League Division One Dublin derby on a beautiful evening at Tolka Park.

Shelbourne opened the brighter and forced two early corners. But the home side were rocked when Cabinteely broke at speed from the second of those corners. Cory Galvin found Joe Doyle with a fine pass and the striker swept the ball into Dean Delany’s net. Just nine minutes had elapsed.

Shels wasted no time in restoring parity. Another right-wing corner on 15 minutes was met by the head of home number nine James English. English rose pretty much unchallenged in the six-yard box and Shels were level.

Jack Watson lifted a 25^th minute free kick on to the head of central defender Conor Keeley. The Shels rearguard was marked absent as Cabo grabbed a 2-1 advantage.  

Shels might have been level again by the half-time break. Aaron Ashe pulled a shot wide while Dayle Rooney’s chipped left-wing free kick eluded everybody including Michael Kelly but bounced back into play off the crossbar.

Shelbourne had dominated the first half in terms of possession but that changed after half-time. Cabinteely, with Christian Lotefa and Kieran Marty Waters prominent, fought hard for every ball and were full value for their lead. After a scuffle on the touchline with 15 minutes to play, the Southsiders crafted two late goals to put the seal on a deserved victory.

First Evan Galvin stabbed the ball goalwards in the 79^th minute. In attempting to clear, Alan Byrne only succeeded in diverting the ball into his own net. The industrious Lotefa put the seal on a memorable night for Cabo with the fourth in injury time. Lotefa linked well with Waters on the edge of the Shels box. Lotefa took the return pass from Waters and slid the ball into the corner.

Pat Devlin’s men may have lost the reverse encounter at Stradbrook earlier in the season but they exacted full retribution here against a Shels side that faded after a positive opening.

Shelbourne: Dean Delany (Jack Menton, 90+4); Adam O’Connor, Alan Byrne, Aidan Collins, Reece McEnteer; Mark Hughes, David O’Leary (James O’Brien, 57) Dayle Rooney Dylan Grimes. 81), Adam Evans, Aaron Ashe, James English.

Subs not used: Jamie Quinn (GK), Niall Lanigan, Jack Tuite, Lorcan Shannon, James Brown.

Booked: Adam O’Connor, James English, Mark Hughes, Reece McEnteer, Alan Byrne.

Cabinteely: Michael Kelly; Karl Byrne, Sean Fitzpatrick, Conor Keely, Kevin Knight; Christian Lotefa, Evan Galvin (Michael Scott, 90), Jack Watson, Cory Galvin (Rob McGee 90 +2), Kieran Marty Waters; Joe Doyle.

Subs not used:, Adam Harney, Paul Fox, Daire Doyle, Anthony Dolan.

Booked: Karl Byrne, Evan Galvin.

Referee: Damien McGraith.

Attendance: 473.

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Christian Lotefa (Cabinteely).