Shamrock Rovers 0-0 Galway
Shamrock Rovers missed the chance to extend their SSE Airtricity Men’s Premier Division lead but Stephen Bradley will be more than satisfied to see his team six points clear going into the summer break.
They were held to a scoreless draw by Galway at Tallaght Stadium this evening - a third consecutive draw between the clubs at the west Dublin venue - but Bradley will know his side could have taken all the points on offer.
Rovers hadn’t lost in their last 35 games against Galway stretching back to October 2006, and they certainly never looked like losing this one. But John Caulfield set up the visitors very defensively, and it served its purpose as Rovers failed to score in a game for the first time since late March.
Bradley made three changes to his team from the one which started in Derry, with Darragh Nugent and Aaron Greene dropping out, and Aaron McEneff and Michael Noonan coming in. The other change saw the suspended Dan Cleary replaced by Josh Hononan.
Galway took the game to the hosts early on but it was Rovers who would go close on eight minutes. Burke crossed low from the left, but the ball was cut out before reaching Noonan at the back post.
Rovers were on top now and McEneff was the next to try his luck, looking to curl one into the far right corner from the edge of the box. Evan Watts could only push the effort away.
As the game ticked into its 26th minute, Danny Grant picked out McEneff around the penalty spot, but his spectacular bicycle kick effort went just over the bar.
Galway were happy to defend deep and try to hit the league leader on the break. On one such occasion, Moses Dyer went close, getting on the end of a free kick from Dave Hurley, but his header came off the outside of the left post.
But The Hoops continued to look the more likely side to score.
Grant nearly did it all himself in the 39th minute, cutting in from the right. He shot low off his left, and nearly managed to squeeze the ball into the bottom right corner; Watts did well to turn it around the post.
Moments later, Burke’s shot from outside the box looked to have hit Rob Slevin’s leg before bouncing up and hitting his arm, but referee Kevin O’Sullivan merely awarded a corner.
The second half started as the first had ended, with Rovers nearly going ahead when a shot from McEneff took a touch off Garry Buckley, who would have been relieved to see the ball flash inches wide of the right post.
Rovers had another big penalty call when Burke was bundled over on the right edge of the box by Rob Slevin, but again the calls of the majority in the crowd of 6,204 fell on deaf ears.
Galway were offering little going forward, as Bradley began to run the bench.
Burke flashed a shot wide of the left post and Noonan couldn’t keep a header down as the game entered its final quarter, while a rare foray forward for Galway produced a corner, which Aaron Greene nearly headed into his own goal.
At the other end Victor Ozhianvuna had a couple of chances with just over 10 minutes to go, but in both instances he caught the efforts with the outside of his right boot, and they drifted well wide.
In injury time, Tuam native Rory Gaffney - who scored the only goal when the sides last met - had a chance with a header at the back post, but he put it too close to Watts.
Elsewhere this evening, Bohemians beat Derry City 1-0 at Dalymount to go third, St Patrick’s Athletic got past Sligo by the same score at The Showgrounds to go fourth, while Shelbourne were held to a 1-1 draw by Cork City at Turners Cross.
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Josh Honohan (Victor Ozhianvuna 59), Adam Matthews (Rory Gaffney 76), Pico Lopes, Aaron McEneff (Danny Mandroiu 59), Graham Burke, Matt Healy, Danny Grant, Cory O’Sullivan, Jack Byrne (Dylan Watts 69), Michael Noonan (Aaron Greene 69).
Yellow cards: Honohan 49
Subs not used: Leon Pohls; Darragh Nugent, Trevor Clarke, John O’Sulivan.
Galway United: Evan Watts; Cian Byrne, Rob Slevin, Greg Cunningham (Rob Burns 56), Moses Dyer (Killian Brouder 90), Pat Hickey, David Hurley (Conor McCormack 76), Vincent Borden (Stephen Walsh 90), Ed McCarthy, Garry Buckley, Jeannot Esua.
Yellow cards: McCarthy 63, Buckley 70
Subs not used: Brendan Clarke; Regan Donelon, Sean Kerrigan, Colm Horgan, Cillian Tollett.
Referee: Kevin O’Sullivan
Attendance: 6,204
