- Macdara Ferris
- Fri, May 31 2013
There was to be no cup shock in Eamon Deacy Park on Friday night as Shamrock Rovers won their FAI Cup second round tie with Salthill Devon 2-0. However, the Hoops made heavy weather of the game in the first half against the team who currently sit bottom of the First Division. Second half substitute Billy Dennehy grabbed both goals with the second strike coming 11 minutes from time.
Trevor Croly’s men lined out with a 4-1-2-3 formation with James Chambers playing his usual holding role in midfield for the Hoops. Rovers created a trio of headed chances in the first half but they couldn’t break the deadlock with any of them. After just four minutes Karl Sheppard got on the end of a Stephen Rice cross but he couldn’t direct his header on target.
Two minutes later Salthill Devon were thankful for Jamie McGlynn’s positioning on the line as he was in the right place to hack clear a Jason McGuinness header from a Sean O’Connor corner. From Rovers’ next corner kick, also taken by O’Connor, Ronan Finn was left lurking all alone on the edge of the box but his well struck shot drifted just wide of the goal.
James Chambers went close for Rovers just after the half hour mark. Salthill Devon contested referee Paul McLaughlin’s decision to award a corner to the visitors. O’Connor swung it in and Chambers’ run nearly rewarded Rovers with a goal. Soon after the midfielder limped off to be replaced by Shane Robinson.
Prior to that Salthill Devon went oh so close to opening the scoring as a sweetly hit shot by Enda Curran rattled the Rovers bar on 29 minutes when he took a free kick after James Chambers had committed a foul 35 yards out from goal.
Both keepers had been put under pressure by a high back passes that they had to control on their chests before clearing. With a stiff breeze blowing off the Corrib, Ronan Forde’s kicking from the Salthill goal caused his opposite number difficulty just before the break. Jason McGuinness was required to knock the ball behind for a Devon corner with Craig Harding in close attendance.
The Hoops came out after the break with more purpose. Three minutes into the second half Rovers almost took the lead. Brian Geraghty took down Karl Sheppard wide on the right and the Devon defender picked up a yellow card for the foul. O’Connor put the free-kick into the box and Devon didn’t deal with it effectively with the ball coming to Jason McGuinness. The sound of the ball hitting the post echoed around Eamon Deacy Park as McGuinness’ shot in the box hit the inside of the post but stayed out.
The introduction of Billy Dennehy on 56 minutes provided Rovers with more bite and it was the winger who opened the scoring six minutes later. He timed his run to perfection to get on the end of a Karl Sheppard cross much to the joy of the away supporters who made up the crowd of 304 fans.
Dennehy almost doubled the lead shortly after. His shot was blocked by Cian Fadden with the ball coming to Sean O’Connor. Jamie McGlynn got a vital touch to take the ball off O’Connor’s toe. From the resulting corner, Ken Oman’s header was pushed around the post by Ronan Forde.
Trevor Croly could breath a bit more easily on 79 minutes as Dennehy grabbed his second. The Kerryman took down Conor McCormack’s cross and with the aid of a deflection his shot beat Ronan Forde to make it 2-0; a repeat of the scoreline when the two teams met in the EA Sports Cup last season. Colm Horgan almost pulled a goal back for Devon just before the final whistle but his shot from outside the area was touched over by Barry Murphy.
Rovers have won two league titles and two Setanta Sports Cups in the last four years but the FAI Cup continues to allude them. 1987 was the last time the Hoops won the cup and while there is six months still to go before the final, Rovers fans are hoping they saw in Galway a decisive step on the journey to claim their 25th cup win.
Salthill Devon: Ronan Forde; Robbie Gaul, Cian Fadden, Brian Geraghty (Alex Byrne, 65), Jamie McGlynn; Jakub Tomanica Willie Enubele, Graham Kelly (Mike Collins, 78), Stephen Rodden (Colm Horgan, 62); Craig Harding, Enda Curran.
Subs not used: James Keane (GK), Jean Biansumba, Timmy Molloy, Michael Harty.
Booked: Brian Geraghty, 48.
Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy; Conor McCormack, Ken Oman, Jason McGuinness, Conor Powell; Sean O'Connor, Ronan Finn, Stephen Rice, James Chambers (Shane Robinson, 40), Thomas Stewart (Billy Dennehy, 56); Karl Sheppard (Ciarán Kilduff, 81).
Subs not used: Richard Brush (GK), Conor Winn (GK), Lorcan Shannon, Gary McCabe.
Bookings: None.
Referee: Paul McLaughlin.
Attendance: 304.
extratime.ie Man of the Match: Billy Dennehy.
