Shelbourne 7 - 0 Mervue United

• Fintan Cassidy
• Sat, Jul 04 2009


Shelbourne gave their goal difference a healthy boost as they outclassed league newcomers Mervue United by seven goals to nil, on the Westerners first visit to Tolka Park. Coming out of the mid-season break, the stats showed that forwards Anto “Bisto” Flood and Paddy Madden had scored nine and six goals respectively, with just five other players contributing one goal each.

With Madden’s loan recall to Bohemians, Reds fans were fearful of where the goals were going to come from. Midfield was the answer. Players like McAllister, Cassidy and Baker are normally good for eight or nine goals each a season and against Mervue they finally clicked into to gear.

David McGill was first off the mark on 13 minutes. Flood and Cassidy combined well with the ball falling nicely for McGill to lob Griffin into the top left-hand corner. The Reds made it two nil on 27 minutes when Cassidy got to the end line on the right and sent a low ball across the face of the goal to Mark O’Brien on the back post, who slammed it just inside the woodwork.

After that it was really all one way traffic with Shels creating chance after chance. Mervue did make the odd foray into the Shels area but Dean Delaney dealt comfortably with anything that came his way. It was all over as a contest when midfielder number three, Dave McAllister added Shels third on 39 minutes after Hynes and Flood did well to set him up.

It was straight back to business after the break when McAllister got his second goal on 49 minutes followed just two minutes later when fourth midfielder David Cassidy added another. Defender Robbie Hedderman made it six nil with a header after Flood had flicked on a McGill cross. Substitute midfielder Richie Baker wrapped up the scoring with just seven minutes to go, with a fine individual finish from a corner.

Shels manager Dermot Kelly is expected to sign one or two strikers in the July transfer window (which Extratime.ie will bring you news of as soon as it happens), but on Friday night’s evidence, he already has plenty of options when it come racking up the goals,

Referee: Sean Grant

Man of the match: The entire Shels midfield

Shelbourne: Dean Delaney; Stephen Quigley (David Crawley, 69), Robbie Hedderman, Alan Keely (Jordan McMillan, 76), Damien Brennan; Mark O'Brien (Richie Baker, 59), David McGill, David Cassidy, David McAllister; Peter Hynes, Anto Flood;
Subs: Maurice Farrell, Vinny Whelan.

Mervue United: Ryan Griffin; Damien O'Rourke, Mark Ludden, Nigel Keady, Rynal Browne (Mixie Harty, 69); Mike Tierney (Rory Gaffney, 76), Eric Browne, Kevin Barrett, Gary Traynor; Dave Goldbey, Kevin Crehan (Pat Hoban, 57);
Subs: Colie Kelly, Martin Conneely.