Severe setback to Shelbourne's title ambitions

IT JUST so happened that this was another encounter of rich quality between these two, the result was everything and by virtue of an 86th minute penalty Shamrock Rovers may well have scuppered Shelbourne's title hopes at Tolka Park last night.

It's Shelbourne's misfortune that Rovers followed the lead of Dundalk here a fortnight ago and raised their game, but then again it must be the same for the others at the top. However, this was a game laden with pitfalls for Damien Richardson's increasingly inconsistent side.

Not alone were Rovers on a roll, eight games unbeaten under Alan O'Neill and Terry Eviston going into this encounter, but they owed Shelbourne one for the cup first round defeat here.

Nowadays Rovers line up with a settled and balanced side, crucially reverting Derek McGrath to his favoured central midfield role. Had Ray Treacy done that all along with this 11, he might still be their manager.

In any event, Rovers were altogether the better side in the opening period, generating six attempts at goal to Shelbourne's two and generally hoarding, possession by the same ratio.

McGrath and John Toal were usually at the heart of things, for Rovers best work was done through the middle and a disorganised Shelbourne never tracked McGrath's runs.

The first came within a minute, McGrath volleying wide. The re born Sean Francis again dropped off the front line and brought his team mates into play tellingly - if only he scored a few more goals.

He did test Alan Gough in the second minute, and a dexterous first touch lay off put Derek Tracey in but Dave Smith made a good tackle. Karl Gannon fired over from the ensuing corner.

It was largely one way traffic. Although the Oasis lookalike Tony Sheridan was in unusually hard working mode and brought his peerless first touch to bear midway through the half, Gary Howlett's radar remained off beam and Greg Costello struggled to make an imprint on the game, in which scenario the forward running John O'Rourke is an underused luxury.

The chances continued to fall to Rovers, and after 35 minutes they struck. Francis overlapped Gannon and crossed beyond the far post, where Tracey's persistence saw him hook the ball back across goal, thereby taking out Smith and Gough for Reid to head into an empty net.

Within two minutes the game could have been over, Tracey releasing Reid who teed up Francis only for a bobble, perhaps, to contribute to the striker's fresh air.

A revitalised Shelbourne made the most of their relative reprieve. There was nothing special to it, just a greater conviction in their play, more players pushing forward (especially O'Rourke) and some head down running by Mark Rutherford.

The winger tested Alan O'Neil within a minute of the resumption and the Rovers' manager cum goalkeeper was equally alert to O'Rourke's first time shot from Howlett's well drilled cross after 51 minutes. Two minutes, later Shelbourne level, just like that, as Stephen Geoghegan pulled one out of the hat.

Both provider and finisher, the striker escaped from two Rovers men in the corner, skipped past a third and when Rutherford whipped in a cross which O'Rourke headed against the bar there was Geoghegan to head home the rebound for his 17th league goal of the season.

The force was with Shelbourne now, McGrath, Toal and Tracey drifting out of the game in a defensive Rovers midfield. Sheridan should have shot when released by O'Rourke, who then just failed to convert Rutherford's centre.

Now one way traffic the other way, Rutherford lost possession when delightfully set free by Stephen Geoghegan, who was again the instigator as Howlett twice extracted superb saves from O'Neill with a drive on the run and a dipping, curling free.

Football, being football, this could only end one way. Sure enough, a lucky break off Henry McKop saw Rovers re awake from their slumber, Gough tipping over a close range Gannon header after Francis had nodded on McGrath's corner.

McKop was the unfortunate Shelbourne villain, the Zimbabwean international centre half having taken over from an injured Neville from the 44th minute with some aplomb. But, less than four minutes from time, Francis turned McKop near the bye line and clearly fell over an ill timed challenge. Toal tucked the penalty under Gough's dive.

That was hard on McKop, harder still on Shelbourne. Six points adrift, barring four wins out of four and favours, it looks like the cup or bust now.