Limerick 0
Shamrock Rovers 1
TEN-MAN SHAMROCK ROVERS claimed their first away points of the season thanks to Graham Burke’s penalty fifteen minutes from time against Limerick.
Shaun Kelly fouled Ronan Finn as he surged into the penalty area, allowing Burke to send Clarke the wrong way from the spot, before Sean Kavanagh was issued with a straight red card for a kick on Billy Dennehy.
Stephen Bradley opted to make three changes from the side who got the better of Dublin rivals St. Pat’s on Friday, with Sam Bone, Gary Shaw and local Limerick winger Joel Coustrain coming into the XI.
Coustrain went on trial with the Blues towards the end of last season, but he opted not to sign him. He was offered a deal by the Hoops last month and was keen to get one over on the club that turned him down.
Limerick were dealing with somewhat of an injury crisis with six senior pros facing a spell on a sidelines as well as Shane Tracy being unavailable due to his stag do. The Blues’ bench, which numbered only six, featured five U19 graduates as well as recent signing Jeff McGowan, who returned to Ireland following a spell at Barnsley.
The first half made for dour viewing, with long throws the primary source of Limerick’s attacking threat. A whistle-happy Graham Kelly awarded the Hoops three free-kicks on the edge of the box, but a combination of Graham Burke and Sean Kavanagh wasted those rare opportunities.
The sides hadn’t played out a nil-all draw since 1992, but it seemed the most likely outcome at half-time, despite the Hoops having gone eighteen months without a draw away from Tallaght Stadium in the league.
After a dour opening half, the breakthrough unsurprisingly came from a dead ball situation after Kelly took out Ronan Finn in the penalty area. Graham Burke slammed the penalty in the bottom corner before wheeling away in celebration.
Sean Kavanagh kicked out at Billy Dennehy five minutes from time and was sent-off but the Hoops hung on the climb to second in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.
LIMERICK: Brendan Clarke; Shaun Kelly (Jeff McGowan, 79), Tony Whitehead (Adam Foley, 87), Killian Brouder, Billy Dennehy; Cian Coleman, Kilian Cantwell; William Fitzgerald, Shane Duggan, Henry Cameron (Karl O’Sullivan, 63); Connor Ellis.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Tomer Chencinski; Ethan Boyle, Roberto Lopes, Lee Grace, Trevor Clarke; Ronan Finn, Sam Bone; Joel Coustrain (Brandon Miele, 73), Graham Burke (Luke Byrne, 87), Sean Kavanagh; Gary Shaw (Dan Carr, 64).
Referee: Graham Kelly (Cork)
