League Report: Shelbourne 1 - 1 Waterford

A late equaliser from Aaron Ashe saw Shelbourne rescue a deserved point against league leaders Waterford as the sides drew 1-1 at Tolka Park on Friday night.

The game was bookended by two goals, with Waterford taking the lead in just the fourth minute through Shane O'Connor.

A scrappy game ensued with James English unlucky not to win a penalty for the hosts late in the first half.

But it was in the 90^th minute when Aaron Ashe snatched a point with a late strike, after only being on the field for just two minutes.

Both sides made positive starts with Davy McDaid nearly breaking in for the Blues and Dylan Kavanagh sending an early cross in for James English, but it was the away side that struck in the fourth minute through O'Connor.

A gorgeous backheel flick from Mark O'Sullivan set up a Derek Daly cross and O'Connor's powerful volley from 12 yards was too hot for diving goalkeeper Dean Delany to handle.

Shels responded in the right way, with Grimes looking particularly lively, while in the ninth minute a heavy challenge by Gary Delaney on English set up a game-long conflict between the two, with English coming off gingerly.

Four minutes later Delaney appeared to take English down by leaning over his shoulder, but McLoughlin had none of the incident, before Patrick McClean had a glorious chance unmarked in the box but the cross from Garry Comerford was awful, sailing over his head and out.

A McDaid free kick was nearly met by about seven different heads but somehow squirmed through them all as Shels really didn't get going in the game until the 25-minute mark.

English was taken down twice more to no decision from the referee as Adam Evans' fabulous run and cross nearly bought Adam O'Connor the equaliser at the back post, but Waterford stopper Matthew Connor was equal to the header.

In the 35^th minute, the most blatant penalty shout occurred as, once again, Delaney and English were involved, this time the Waterford centre-back wrestling the striker down to the ground.

McLoughlin waved it off once again to massive protest and derision from the Tolka Park crowd.

Adam Evans had one moe chance with seven minutes to go, running through te Blue lines of defence taking about four challenges at once, but his eventual shot from 15 yards was wayward and blasted high and out of the stadium at the Drumcondra end.

The second half started tamely compared to the first, but Shels wasted a glorious opportunity when a poor ball from English was intercepted by Kenny Browne when he was outnumbered two-on-one by English and Ashe.

In the 53^rd minute Daly hit a great cross-field ball to McDaid, whose cross-shot ricocheted up off the leg off Alan Byrne, but thankfully into the welcome arms of Delany.

Shelbourne got into numerous dangerous positions but the final ball quality was consistently lacking, as was Grimes' set piece delivery – with the Shels winger consistently firing crossing opportunity and dead ball opportunity wide and off course.

He did manage to find Alan Byrne on one occasion, but his header was cleared from the goal by the head of Robin Dempsey.

In the 77^th minute the chance seemingly came and went for Shels, when substitute Chris Lyons played a fantastic cross-field ball to Evans who then fired towards the head of English, but he couldn't turn it in.

The affair became a messy one, with many late challenges and a small bust up between Mark Hughes and Comerford after a foul by Lyons.

As both sides sought to control the game with tiring legs, sloppiness set in with little goalmouth action in the last ten minutes, Anthony McAlavey's 86^th minute attempt from 25 yards the only real chance.

The difference maker proved to be the substitutes for Shels, as Dayle Rooney's ball in from the right was met by the volley from Aaron Ashe in the 90^th minute to send Tolka into delirium as they claimed a deserved point late in the game.

James English had one final chance with the last kick of the game, but another weak effort was pulled wide.

Shelbourne: Dean Delany; Adam O'Connor, Arran Molloy (Aaron Ashe 88), Alan Byrne, Sean Byrne; Adam Evans, Niall Lanigan, Mark Hughes, Dylan Grimes (Dayle Rooney 79), Dylan Kavanagh (Chris Lyons 65); James English.

Subs not used: Jamie Quinn, Jack Tuite, James Brown, Michael Murphy, Aaron Ashe,

Booked: Mark Hughes (79), Adam O'Connor (81), Alan Byrne (84).

Waterford: Matthew Connor; Robin Dempsey, Gary Delaney, Kenny Browne, Patrick McClean; Anthony McAlavey, Garry Comerford, David McDaid (Conor Whittle 90+1), Shane O'Connor, Derek Daly (John Martin 74); Mark O'Sullivan.

Subs not used: Matt Sheehan, Owen Wall, Jack Lynch, Kenny McEvoy, Dean Walsh.

Booked: Shane O'Connor (43), John Martin (78).

Referee: John McLoughlin

Attendance: 589

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Derek Daly (Waterford FC)