Rowe and Purcell sink Students
Monday 16th July 2007, 10:07 pm
Ger Rowe (right) opened the scoring at Tolka Park.
Photo by Tom Carey.
16th July 2007
eircom League of Ireland Premier Division
Shamrock Rovers 2
Ger Rowe 54
Tadhg Purcell 70
UCD 0
Tolka Park
Live on Setanta Ireland
Two second half goals from Ger Rowe and Tadhg Purcell gave Shamrock Rovers all three points in their League of Ireland Premier Division clash with UCD at Tolka Park.
After eventually overcoming the spirited challenge of UCD, Rovers' win moves them to within two points of second placed Saint Patrick's Athletic - who they meet in seven days.
Rovers had a couple of early chances when Purcell just failed to connect with a flicked cross inside the opening ten minutes. Alan Mahon had to clear off the UCD line as Rowe's shot got past a weak block from goalkeeper Matt Gregg.
Shane Fitzgerald at times tore the Rovers midfield and defence and on the half hour he broke through and slid a shot just past Barry Murphy's post.
After an even first half, UCD had started brightly in the second period. Conan Byrne even slotted home for them in the first minute of the second half although it was ruled out after an awful offside decision.
The opening goal came on 54 minutes when UCD goalkeeper Gregg got no-where near David Tyrell's floated corner kick. Rowe had the simple task of nodding the ball home unhindered.
Rovers took full advantage of UCD having a player off the pitch receiving treatment to make it 2-0 on 70 minutes. Ger O'Brien floated in a dangerous cross from the end-line and as Gregg again flapped at shadows, Purcell nodded in his tenth league goal of the season.
The second goal killed off UCD's challenge although Darren Forsyth and Conor Sammon got in good positions but couldn't make clean connections with headers under pressure. Ronan Finn also shot wide but the Hoops held on to keep their thirteenth clean sheet in eighteen league games this year.
Shamrock Rovers : Murphy, Pender, G O'Brien, Ferguson, Danny O'Connor, Reynolds (Lawrence 52), Martin (E McGill 48), D McGill, Tyrell, Purcell (Myler 73), Rowe.
UCD : Gregg, Mahon, Bermingham, Kenna, McNally, McFaul, Fitzgerald (Doyle 70), Finn, C Byrne (McDonnell 85), P Byrne (Forsyth 22), Sammon.