League Report: Shamrock Rovers 1 - 0 Sligo Rovers

Shamrock Rovers maintained a grasp of top spot in the SSE Airtricity League after a one nil win over big rivals Sligo Rovers at Tallaght Stadium on Friday night. Many of the plaudits will go to the match winner Ryan Brennan but the real star of the show was Hoops captain Conor Kenna, a faultless performance.

Sligo will be frustrated by missed chances, especially two from Eric Odihiambo which should both have found the net either side of the break.

After a tense opening to proceedings it was the Dublin Rovers who had the first real cutting edge opportunity. A mix up from Aaron Greene gifted Brennan the ball and he justly slid through Ciaran Kilduff. The frontman hammered the ball across goal to the waiting Sean O’Connor but Alan Keane made a vital interception to deny him.

The next time that happened though, the visitors weren’t so lucky. A challenge from Kenna on Danny North brought cries of penalty from the Sligo players but Neil Doyle waved it away.

From the ensuing break away, Kilduff got to the end line before sucking in the Reds defence and laying the ball off for Brennan to stab into an empty net on 13 minutes. It might have been two midway through the first half as Ronan Finn, under no pressure, wandered forward before letting fly a low drive which Gary Rodgers did well to save.

Aaron Greene, playing in an unfamiliar left back role, had Sligo’s best opportunity of the match thus far on 26 minutes. He drifted to the edge of the area where the ball fell to him and he smashed a volley which deflected wide with Barry Murphy beaten.

A lifeline was almost handed to the visitors eight minutes from half time. A cross from the left by David Cawley was headed goal ward by North but Murphy saved superbly with his feet and Odihiambo made a mess of the follow up.

The second half began in a similar pattern to what the first played out as. Complete Hoop domination. After ten minutes of the second half, they created their first opening. Kilduff, who was menacing all evening, almost got his just rewards. After sublime control at the edge of the box, he swivelled inside before dipping a shot just over the cross bar.

Just prior to the hour mark. It really should have been two. Simon Madden’s long pass was expertly controlled and distributed by Brennan as he found Kilduff. The Kilcock native striker rushed through, out pacing Evan McMillan before having his shot saved outstandingly by Rodgers.

O’Connor, who was industrious down the left, nearly had that work rewarded a he cut inside at the edge of the box. He hit a rasping effort that was unlucky to finish wide of the Sligo post.

Rogers was at hand to save a certain second for Brennan with little over twenty minutes remaining. A corner from the right by O’Connor was met by the Louth man but Rodgers made a reflex save to tip the ball around his post.

The Bit O’Red could not have come closer to an equaliser with sixteen minutes left as first North and then Odihiambo were denied by Madden clearances off the line. The visitors continued to huff and puff but could not blow the Tallaght house down. The balls were peppered in but Kenna in particular was equal to all of it.

The Hoops should have made it safe in injury time. A misplaced Jeff Henderson pass was latched onto by Kilduff. He rounded Rogers and with the goal at his mercy, the ex-Cork striker somehow managed to miss the target. A miss of the season contender for sure.

In the end it mattered little as the home side took the well-deserved spoils in the battle of the Rovers.

Shamrock Rovers: Barry Murphy; Simon Madden, Conor Kenna, Jason McGuinness, Luke Byrne; Gary McCabe, Shane Robinson, Ryan Brennan, Sean O’Connor (Karl Sheppard 83); Ronan Finn; Ciaran Kilduff.
Subs not used: Conor O’Malley (GK), Robert Cornwall, Stephen McPhail, Dean Kelly, Robert Bayly, Eamon Zayed.

Booked: Robinson (77), McCabe (87), Finn (89).

Sligo Rovers: Gary Rogers; Alan Keane, Evan McMillan, Jeff Henderson, Aaron Greene; David Cawley (John Russell 75), Seamus Conneely; Eric Odihiambo (Paul O’Conor 81), Sean Maguire (Joseph N’Do 56), Kieran Djilali; Danny North.
Subs not used: Richard Brush (GK), Kalen Spillane, Jake Dykes.

Booked: Conneely (36), Cawley (45+3), Russell (90+1)

Referee: Neil Doyle

Attendance: 3,103

Extratime.ie Man of the match: Conor Kenna (Shamrock Rovers).