| Heartbreak for Bit O'Red at Tolka |
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| Saturday, 05 May 2007 | |
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The Bit O'Red left Tolka Park last night with nothing as Shamrock Rovers snatched a winner in the fourth minute of injury time. Rovers will now have to pick themselves up ahead of the League Cup match against Finn Harps in Ballybofey on Monday evening.
Report courtesy, www.fai.ie eircom League of Ireland Shamrock Rovers 1 (Rowe 94) Sligo Rovers 0 Fri 4 May, 8pm, Tolka Park A sublime curling effort from striker Gerard Rowe in the fourth minute of injury time handed Shamrock Rovers the victory they deserved over Sligo Rovers at Tolka Park on Friday evening. A late barrage of pressure from the home side did not look to be enough as Sligo stood strong, as they had all game. However, the striker curled a fantastic effort towards the top corner and despite Bajdziak getting a hand to it, he could not stop it finding the net. Despite an early Chris Turner shot standing out in a subdued opening twenty-minute period, it was the home side that took control of the game and began to carve out chances. Piotr Bajdziak in goal had to get down quickly to his left hand post, when a Derek Pender cross missed Andy Myler and almost reached the bottom corner, until the keeper got his hand to it. Five minutes later, Rovers clicked into gear, when a nice passing move, saw David Cassidy burst into the box down the right and whip a fantastic cross across goal, leaving Seamus Coleman with the awkward task of intercepting the ball, just as David O Connor was about to score. Sligo's reprieve did not last long however and immediately from the corner, it should have been one nil, when O'Connor found himself four yards from goal and volleying a Pender cross straight at the goalkeeper. Defender Barry Ferguson headed over from a corner just before the break and it took a moment of magic to bring the second period to life, following a slow opening phase. O'Connor did well down the left for the home side and whipped the ball back across the edge of the box, where Gerard Rowe neatly dummied the ball to David Cassidy, who was unlucky to see his effort go wide of the post. The longer the game went on, Sligo disappeared from the game and retreated into a defenseive shape, while Rovers tried to pass the ball through them. It almost paid off with ten minutes to go, when David McGill broke down the right and fed the ball across the six yard line. However, substitute Tadhg Purcell missed the ball completely with his flick and O Connor could only blaze over at the back post. With the clock ticking and Rovers desperately in search of a winner. McGill came close with a volley but it looked like a draw was inevitable, until Rowe popped up with a screamer in the final second. The final whistle brought a dispute between players on both sides, with Hoops' midfielder Dan O'Connor and Sligo's Piotr Bajdzaik both receiving red cards. TEAMS Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy, Ger O Brien (Clarke, 60), Derek Pender, Aidan Price, Barry Ferguson, Barry O Connor, Jimmy Duffy (Purcell, 51), David Cassidy, Andy Myler (McGill, 66), Ger Rowe, David O Connor. Not used: Ian Ryan, Stephen O Brien. Sligo Rovers: Tomislav Arcaba, Piotr Bajdziak, Seamus Coleman (Cretero, 66), Keith Foy, Jamie McKenzie, Zoltan Vasas, Chris Turner, Adam Hughes, Steven Manson (McCarthy, 66), Mathew Judge (Aisien, 78), Fahrudin Kudozovic. Not used: Richard Brush, Choice Aisien, Sean Kelly. |
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