Shamrock Rovers 0 Cobh Ramblers 0: MICK LEECH, their legendary goalscorer of the 1960s, would have watched with pride as his son Mark made his debut in a Shamrock Rovers shirt as a second-half substitute, having completed his move from Galway United late on Thursday evening.

The omens were not good when the Rovers striker Dessie Baker, aggrieved that he'd had a goal disallowed early on after a push on Cobh defender Kevin Murray, was guilty of a bad miss on 21 minutes, when he was far too casual arriving on to Ger O'Brien's cross to plant a header onto the bar when he should have scored.

Cobh also survived Rovers' Aidan Price shooting wide from Tadhg Purcell's cross to enjoy a good spell that almost gave them the lead on the half hour.

Rovers failed to clear a corner and Davin O'Neill's header was cleared off the line by Pádraig Amond with an overhead kick.

Barry Murphy then had to save at John Kearney's feet as Cobh finished the half the stronger.

Despite Rovers laying virtual siege to the Cobh goal for the rest of the match, the closest they came to breaking the deadlock was when Price brought a parry save from James McCarthy with a 40-yard volley on 87 minutes.

McCarthy excelled again at the death, touching out O'Brien's superb cross from the right.

SHAMROCK ROVERS:Murphy; O'Brien, Flynn, Price, Treacy; Purcell, Maguire, D O'Connor, S O'Connor; Baker, Amond (Leech 65).

COBH RAMBLERS:McCarthy; Carey, Guthrie, Murray, J Meade; O'Neill (Mulcahy 67), O'Brien, J Kearney (Coleman 74), Lally (A Kearney 80); O'Reilly, Cummins.

Referee:Dave McKeon (Dublin).