Rovers out of Setanta Cup after 2-1 loss (4-1 agg)
Sligo Rovers were last night dumped out of the Setanta Cup at the hands of Shamrock Rovers.
Photo courtesy of Shane Murray
Rovers got off to the best possible start when former Hoops winger Eoin Doyle headed in a 3rd minute goal from an Alan Keane cross. Shamrock Rovers had an immediate response when the slightest of touches from Karl Sheppard almost found the net, but was denied when Brendan Clarke tipped it onto the post.
Sheppard made up for his miss just 4 minutes later when a lapse in concentration at the back allowed Sheppard to fire home a shot from Billy Dennehy's delivery.
It became a very open game, with both teams getting chances, but in the 25th minute Shamrock Rovers effectively killed off the tie when Man of the Match Billy Dennehy as calm as you like put the ball well beyond Clarke's reach.
The second half was a dull affair, with the ball being bogged down in midfield for much of the 45 minutes. Rovers were enjoying the better of the chances, but failed to find the net, as Alan Mannus was forced into a few saves and Eoin Doyle had a glorious chance to score only for the ball to be cleared for a corner at the last second.
Shamrock Rovers looked to have a late chance of scoring 1 more goal when Paddy Kavanagh was tripped by Brendan Clarke on the edge of the box, but ended up being booked for diving. Clarke perhaps a bit lucky to have gotten away with it when replay's showed there was contact made.
It certainly wasn't a tie Rovers fans want to revisit (Kind of explains the shorter than usual match report!), but it gives us the chance to turn our attention to the league. Another Final would certainly have been great, but at the end of the day I think we'd rather move on and look forward to friday's encounter with Bohemians and not dwell on our semi-final games in the last week.
The LOI Interview Show's Donagh Corby spoke to players from both teams after the match on their thoughts on the game and more. Features interviews from Aaron Greene, Brendan, Clarke, Gary McCabe, Paul Cook and Joseph Ndo just to name a few!
Sligo Rovers: Clarke, Keane, Peers, Foran, Davoren, Horgan (Kirby, 75 mins), Ventre (Ryan, 69 mins), Ndo, Greene, Doyle, McGoldrick (Cretaro, 45 mins)
Subs not used: Kelly, McGuinness, Dillon
Shamrock Rovers: Mannus, Sullivan, Murray, Oman, Stevens, Dennehy (Kavanagh, 80 mins), Rice, Finn, McCormack (McCabe, 63 mins), O' Neill (Kelly, 70 mins), Sheppard
Subs not used: Thompson, Flynn, Corcoran, Kilduff
Attendance: 2500 (approx.)
thebitoredblog Man of the Match: Daryl Horgan
