Shamrock Rovers 1 Derry City 1
For 94 minutes of yesterday’s opening league encounter at the Tallaght Stadium it looked as if City were going to travel north with all three points. However the late intervention of Ciaran Kilduff endured a share of the spoils for the home side and whilst it was certainly a point earned, it felt like two dropped for players and supporters alike.
Truth be told the first half of this encounter had little of note to commit it to the memory and was likely a turgid affair for those watching on RTÉ. The main talking points from the first half were the line up, with City choosing to omit Rory Patterson and Patrick McEleney, whilst the home side also had McPhail, Finn and Sheppard on the bench.
The game was a dour midfield battle in the first half and whilst the City ship rocked in the opening ten minutes, the visitors soon settled and the rest of the opening forty five was a dull grind. This was clearly Roddy Collins’ game plan, as he had spoken all week about making the game a scrap, no allowing the home side to play football and get a head of steam up in front of their own support.
Molloy, Ventre and McEleney plugged the gaps in the centre and cut off Rovers before the chance to launch their attacking. Curran, Duffy and Stewart pressed high up the pitch, forcing Rovers to lump long balls forward looking for Kilduff and Zayed. However Cliff Byrne and Ryan McBride appeared to have been playing together for years, such was their understanding at the back for the Candystripes.
It was a surprise that Rovers wide men were starved of possession as with two novice full back playing for City in the shape of Collins Junior and Barry. However McCabe and Waters were forced to come in field to search for possesion, which made the middle third even more congested. Despite all this, City probably had the best chance of the first half when O’Connor misjudged a long ball and Curran picked up possesion. The young striker snapped at the chance from the edge of the box and dragged his shot well wide of the post. As the half drew to a close Rovers had their best chance when a quick move down the right saw a dangerous ball into the area, but Byrne was alert to come across and clear the danger.
The second half exploded into life in the 48th minute when Mark Stewart wrapped a foot around the ball down the right. The shot caught Murphy flat footed and the ball dropped into the far corner of the net. Rovers, stung into action, introduced McPhail from the bench and Brennan had the chance to level nearly immediately. A heavy touch from McEleney sent Brennan free in the box but Gerard Doherty pulled off a superb point blank save.
Collins launched Patterson and Patrick McEleney from the bench to try and hit Rovers on the break as the home side strove for an equaliser. Gerard Doherty made a good full length save from McCabe but in truth Byrne and McBride appeared comfortable under the aeriel bombardment favoured by the Hoops. A length injury stoppage saw six minutes added and it was in the fourth of those minutes that City’s hopes of an opening day win were dashed, with Kilduff rising above McBride and Byrne to nod home from close range.
City up and running but it could have been so much more for the visitors.
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