Details

Date Time League Season
29 September 2023 7:45 pm LOI Men's Premier Division 2023

Match Report

Shamrock Rovers Edge Closer to Title

Shamrock Rovers picked up a crucial win in their title run-in, beating out Shelbourne 1-0 in Tallaght to maintain their grip on the league title.

A lethargic first-half performance saw chances for either side few and far between, neither team looking likely to break the deadlock. Rovers got out on the front foot in the second half with Rory Gaffney squandering a handful of chances.

Graham Burke proved to be the difference maker, drilling a shot into the bottom left corner from long-range to make it 1-0. Burke’s heroics were slightly masqueraded as referee Damien MacGraith gave him his marching orders for a second yellow, Shamrock Rovers holding out for the win despite their numerical disadvantage.

The first half shaped up as most would’ve expected- Shelbourne setting up in a tight, compact shape that allowed to Rovers to lap up the ball while simultaneously affording them few chances.

The hosts certainly lacked the creative spark necessary to break down their opponents, Ronan Finn and Sean Kavanagh’s crossing from the flanks often leaving much to be desired.

It was Markus Poom who fashioned the best opportunity of the half for Rovers, swinging a well-placed cross into the chest of Rory Gaffney, Gaffney taking the ball down and opting for a poked finish that grazed Conor Kearn’s left post.  

It took a while for Shelbourne to kick into gear but they began to show their teeth towards the end of half-time, Will Jarvis routinely getting the better of Finn on the left wing.

The forward pressure Shels began to pile on served as a genuine reminder of how much Duff’s side had progressed this season, both on the field and in terms of financing off the pitch.

Their first meeting against Rovers this season was a drab 0-0 draw in Tolka Park, where the hosts were seemingly forced to play limited, agricultural football in order to pick up a point. Now Duff’s side was taking the game to the defending league champions, playing a more expansive brand of football upheld by players who have arrived under new ownership (Wood, Jarvis, Da Silva Cabral).  

Rovers got out the second half on the front foot, but it was again Gaffney left rueing his poor finishing. A chaotic scramble in the box saw the ball fall the feet of the Tuam forward at close range, his strike failing to challenge Kearns.

Just a minute later Liam Burt played Gaffney in with a delicate through ball to break past the Shels’ backline, Gaffney rounding Kearns and getting a shot off, Paddy Barrett lunging in at the perfect time to send the ball out for a corner.

It was Graham Burke who stepped up to break the deadlock in the 72nd minute, picking up the ball 25 yards out and drilling a well-placed shot into the bottom right-hand corner past Kearns’ outstretched arm.  

Burke’s heroics became slightly botched just minutes later, a late challenge on Mark Coyle seeing referee Damian MacGraith give Burke his second yellow of the match and his subsequent marching orders. 

Shamrock Rovers were forced to soak up the pressure from that point onwards, defending resolutely to see out the win despite their numerical disadvantage.

Shamrock Rovers face Cork City next week, Cork’s position in the league’s relegation play-off practically guaranteed. Despite their poor form this year, The Rebel Army have proved frustrating opposition for Rovers, having taken four points from The Hoops this season. 

Shelbourne square off against Dundalk at Oriel Park in a pivotal clash for European places.

Shamrock Rovers

1Alan Mannus Goalkeeper
4Roberto Lopes Defender
5Lee Grace Defender 89'
6Daniel Cleary Defender
11Sean Kavanagh 18 Defender 20'
8Ronan Finn 17 Midfielder
16Gary O’Neill 7 Midfielder
19Markus Poom Midfielder
27Liam Burt 29 Midfielder 26'
20Rory Gaffney 9 Forward
10Graham Burke Forward 72'
67'
77'
3Sean Hoare Defender
7Dylan Watts 16 Midfielder
9Aaron Greene 20 Forward
15Darragh Nugent Midfielder
17Richie Towell 8 Midfielder
18Trevor Clarke 11 Defender
24Johnny Kenny Forward
25Leon Pohls Goalkeeper
29Jack Byrne 27 Midfielder

Shelbourne

1Conor Kearns Goalkeeper
13Tyreke Wilson Defender
29Paddy Barrett Defender
15Euclides Cabral 5 Defender
6JJ Lunney 7 Midfielder
8Mark Coyle 26 Midfielder
10Jack Moylan Midfielder
16Harry Wood Midfielder
21Gavin Molloy Midfielder
27Evan Caffrey 17 Forward
36Will Jarvis Forward
4Andrew Quinn Defender
5Shane Griffin 15 Defender
7Brian McManus 6 Midfielder
17Shane Farrell 27 Forward
19Harry Fisk Goalkeeper
23Luke Byrne Defender
26Gbemi Arubi 8 Forward
28David Toure Defender
32Kameron Ledwidge Defender
  • Full-time: Shamrock Rovers 1-0 Shelbourne.

  • 90'

    Six minutes of added time to be played in Tallaght.

  • 88'

    Attendance tonight in Tallaght tallied at 7,879. A league record!

  • 84'

    Gaffney comes off for Greene, as Coyle is also replaced by Arubi.

  • 78'

    A late challenge on Coyle sees Burke receive a second yellow and his marching orders!

  • 72'

    Goal! Burke finds the ball at his feet from 25 yards out and drills a shot into the bottom right corner, beating the outstretched hand of Kearns!

  • 68'

    Burke receives a yellow card.

  • 64'

    Duff brings on a double-header sub for Shels. Griffin replaces Cabral, while Farrell comes on for Caffrey.

  • 61'

    Watts replaces O'Neill in the middle of the park.

  • 55'

    Another huge opportunity for Gaffney! Burt plays a delicately weighted through ball to find him and beat the Shels backline, Gaffney rounding Kearns and getting off a shot that's cleared by Barrett for a corner.

  • 52'

    A chaotic scramble from a corner sees Gaffney strike from point blank range, his effort fired straight at Kearns. Another attack for Rovers a minute later sees Kearns spill a cross from Finn, Gaffney failing to convert the follow up as the ball goes out for a corner.

  • 46'

    Rovers get the action back underway in Tallaght.

  • Half-time in Tallaght: Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Shelbourne.

  • 45'

    One minute of added time to be played in Tallaght.

  • 41'

    Shels continue their forward pressure, Wood teeing up Lunney on the left-side of the box, Lunney's shot overhit as it flies into the South Stand.

  • 38'

    Shels beginning to show their teeth now-Jarvis again doing well on the left, cutting the ball across to Cabral on the right wing, the full-back releasing a tame effort that's comfortably saved by Mannus.

  • 32'

    A neatly worked moved by Shels up the pitch sees Wood catch the ball on the edge of the box, his cross snuffed out by Lopes.

  • 26'

    Burt receives Rovers' 2nd card of the game for a late tackle on Jarvis.

  • 20'

    Kavanagh carded after a pull-back on Harry Wood.

  • 18'

    Shels sticking to what they know best so far-sticking to a solid, compact shape that doesn't give away too many chances. They haven't offered much going forward as of yet-though Jarvis looks to be getting the best out of Finn on the left flak early on.

  • 12'

    Gaffney misses a big chance! Poom does well to find Gaffney in the box with his cross, the Tuam forward chesting the ball down and opting for a poked finish from close range that skims past the right post.

  • 10'

    Poom wins the ball back high the pitch and lays his pass off to Burke on the D, Burke's shot lacking accuracy as it flies over the bar.

  • 5'

    Poom swings in a free-kick from the edge of the box and finds Cleary in the air, the defender's header glancing over Kearns' crossbar.

  • 1'

    Shels get the action underway in Tallaght!

  • Mark Coyle returns to the Shelbourne starting XI after seeing out a period of suspension. Jack Byrne starts on the bench for Rovers, the midfielder having endured a lengthy period on the side lines with a knee injury.

  • Damien Duff has attempted to shield his squad from the pressure of the fixture-though confident they're a far stronger outfit than the one that faced Rovers at the beginning of August. “I think the pressure is on Damien Duff, I think it’s on Stephen Bradley, I think it’s on their players, there’s no pressure on our guys,” Duff said speaking to club media. “It’s the same every single week, we go in and we encourage them to express themselves, they are relishing it, they are looking forward to it.” “We’re a better team than the team that played there last time, I fully believe that. Look at the quality that has come in Harry Wood, Will Jarvis, Harry Fisk, Euclides Cabral, the bigger the game, the better we play, I expect a big performance tomorrow.”

  • Bradley said he was confident his team should have enough to beat Shels this evening, should they hit the levels expected of them. “We know Shelbourne will be a difficult opponent, we know they’re well-organised and they work extremely hard for each other. “They have some good players in there as well so it’s going to be a difficult game. But we also know if we hit our performance levels, as I said, nine times out of ten it’ll be enough to win games.”

  • Last week's results saw a precarious run of events for Rovers-The Hoops dropping points in a 0-0 draw with UCD while still bolstering their league lead, title rivals Derry City defeated in Sligo. Manager Stephen Bradley maintained he was happy with his team's performance against UCD, while lamenting the lack of clinical finishing in his side: "Having watched the game back, I think a lot of the performance was really good. The one crucial part is putting the ball in the net, that we didn’t do on the night,” he said, speaking to club media. “We certainly had enough chances to do that. But as I said, a lot of the performance was really good.”

  • Shelbourne have proved prickly opposition for the host's tonight, all three clashes this season ending in draws. Their most recent match saw Rovers lead up to the 90th minute, before Gavin Molloy headed home at the death to salvage a 1-1 draw for Shels in Tolka Park.

  • Evening all and welcome to tonight's match coverage of Shamrock Roves vs Shelbourne. A big result for either side could bare huge implications for both team's season, a win solidifying Rovers' grip on the league title while a point or more will only strengthen Shelbourne's bid for European places.

Past Meetings

(Round 27)
1 - 1
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne FC 1-1 Shamrock Rovers FC

(Round 10)
2 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers FC 2-2 Shelbourne FC

(Round 3)
1 - 1
LOI Women's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne FC 1-1 Shamrock Rovers FC

(Round 5)
0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne FC 0-0 Shamrock Rovers FC

(Round 32)
3 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers 3-2 Shelbourne

(Round 24)
0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne 0-0 Shamrock Rovers

(Round 18)
2 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne

(Round 9)
1 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne v Shamrock Rovers

(Series 18)
0 - 2
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tolka Park

Shelbourne v Shamrock Rovers

(Series 9)
0 - 0
LOI Men's Premier Division
Tallaght Stadium

Shamrock Rovers v Shelbourne

Ground

Tallaght Stadium
Tallaght Stadium, Whitestown Way, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 XC9W

Alex is a second-year Journalism student at DCU. As well as being a soccer enthusiast, he's also an avid athletics fan, competing in the sport for over ten years.