- Aaron Gallagher
- Sat, Jul 16 2016
Shelbourne closed the gap between them and a play-off place to eight points on Saturday evening thanks to a 2-1 victory over Cabinteely at Tolka Park courtesy of an own goal from Oscar Brennan before striker James English ensured the three points for Owen Heary’s side with a well maneuvered header before the break.
The Reds were off the back of, in financial terms, a crucially busy week for League of Ireland clubs as they welcomed all of Falkirk, Ipswich Town, Swindon and Leeds United to Dublin which attracted inflated crowds and ticket sales.
Results may have not looked positive on paper but football on the field of play was indeed promising as Owen Heary gets his tenure into motion. Thursday’s fixture against Leeds United attracted a rocking crowd of over 3,000 supporters. This time however less than 400 entered the turnstiles.
Following a back and forth set of opening exchanges, it was a Cabinteely name on the scoreboard but Shelbourne in the lead. An awful mix-up involving goalkeeper Michael Kelly saw defender Oscar Brennan’s backpass deemed to have crossed the line by referee David Keeler after his assistant linesman had raised his flag.
Eddie Gormley’s side pushed on in spite of the deficit and offered presentable chances of their own, often from the boot of Evan Galvin who more than once tested Jack Brady in goal through promising long range efforts, the second of which dipped just at the last with the intention of lobbing the Shelbourne ‘keeper off his line.
However despite their advances Cabinteely were 2-0 down after 37 minutes. Right-back Adam O’Connor steadied his failing balance just long enough to offer a clinical cross which striker James English was only too happy to use his height advantage to head home emphatically.
Cabinteely steered the second half in their favour, entering the field of play following the break with the full-blooded intention of not allowing the regret of the game’s first half chances to hang over what was still a game to play for.
Evan Galvin offered the Stradbrook sides’ most present threat, shooting from distance and earning free-kicks on numerous occasions. However the midfielder was forced off following a challenge mid-way through the second half which saw Mark Slater take his place.
Slater was on the pitch no less than ten minutes before he had the ball in the back of the Shelbourne goal. A fast-paced move up the length of Tolka Park concluded in a fine run through the middle of the Reds’ defence before slotting home neatly into the bottom corner.
The game was now Shelbourne's to loses, with second half chances to make it 3-0 coming aplenty before Eddie Gormley’s side halved the deficit.
If Evan Galvin’s shooting from range was Cabo’s threat, Adam O’Connor’s crosses from wide positions offered an equally dangerous menace. O’Connor swung in a neat corner from the left which firstly missed James English at the front post and later Ryan Robinson at the far.
Before this however a crossfield ball from the foot of Ryan Robinson began the move of the game. O’Connor was again the overlapping defender and his cross was forced clear off the line by Kelly at the last. Kelly appeared visibly affected by the game’s earlier own goal but ultimately redeeming himself with this fine save.
Cabinteely pushed for the equalizer and frustrated Shelbourne supporters in the stands through a firm grip on a game the home side were hanging onto with clear struggle. But despite all of their late pressure, referee Keeler’s final whistle condemned Cabinteely to a 12th loss of the season and etched Shelbourne to within eight points of UCD in second spot.
Shelbourne: Jack Brady; Adam O’Connor, Reece McEnteer, Aidan Collins (Robert O’Reilly 76), Ryan Robinson, Adam O’Connor; Gavin Boyne, Daire Doyle, Jamie Doyle, Lorcan Shannon; Stephen Elliott (Cian Kavanagh 70), James English.
Subs not used: Greg Murray (gk), Dylan Grimes, Dylan Kavanagh, Carl Walshe, James Brown.
Bookings: Daire Doyle (40), Adam O’Connor (73).
Cabinteely: Michael Kelly; Karl Byrne (Paul Fox 92), Andrew McGovern, Christian Lotefa (Lee Mitchell 87), Oscar Brennan; Shane Boyle, Evan Galvin (Mark Slater 61), Aaron Brilly, Ben Hanrahan; Joe Doyle, Kevin Knight
Subs not used: Gavin Howard, Adam Maher, Ryan Byrne.
Bookings: Karl Byrne (10), Michael Kelly (14).
Referee: David Keeler.
Attendance: 375.
ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Adam O’Connor (Shelbourne).
