Shamrock Rovers and Shelbourne share the spoils in dramatic Tallaght clash

Irish Daily Mirror

25-04-2025

After a week of comebacks that hurt Shamrock Rovers they produced one of their own to share the spoils with Damien Duff's tigerish champions in a thrilling Dublin derby in Tallaght.
Rocked by 3-2 losing to Bohs' Easter Monday rising at the same venue after conceding a late equaliser at St Pat's last Friday, the Hoops were in control against Shels at the break last night.
Matt Healy's 28th minute goal - his first for the club since his close season move from Belgium - was the platform for Stephen Bradley's side to go hunting for more either side of the break.
They couldn't add to their advantage but Shels looked to be in an even tighter spot when they lost the in-form Kerr McInroy and centre-half Sam Bone to injury in the 51st minute.
However McInroy's replacement Ali Coote pounced with his first touch within moments of the restart, and Mipo Odubeko put Duff's Reds in front five minutes later.
Rovers, who conceded three in the final 26 minutes against Bohs, found another gear and Daniel Cleary fired home from close range to level it up again.
It was Rovers who came closest in the final stages but both sides had to be content with a point earned - and two lost. For Shels, it was their third 2-2 draw in seven days.
Bradley was asked on the eve of this derby if, given his Celtic contacts, Shels' star of the season so far McInroy was the one who got away.
"No," came the reply. "We were very clear that Matt was the one that we wanted for quite some time."
Corkman Healy repaid his manager with the game's first goal after what had been a fiercely contested opening.
Bradley had promised that his players would demand more of themselves in response to Monday and he made two changes, with Danny Grant and Graham Burke in for Adam Matthews and Aaron Greene.
Duff made just one change from Shels' draw with leaders Drogheda - Harry Wood for Ali Coote - and the Reds made the better start.
After an Odubeko attempt was deflected for a corner, Evan Caffrey got on the ball and curled a cross-shot to the far post that Rovers keeper Ed McGinty had to touch away. Another corner ensued and Bone headed wide.
But Bone was soon having trouble with Rovers' 16-year-old striker Michael Noonan, who scored his debut League goal on Monday.
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The Shels centre-half struggled to clear as Noonan threatened to run in behind and the teenager pounced on the loose ball, flat-footing Bone before his shot was blocked.
Noonan was then close to getting on the end of a dangerous Jack Byrne cross to the back post after Healy did well to switch the play. Shels conceded a corner but Lee Grace couldn't keep down a free header.
Rovers were certainly on top and they broke the deadlock soon after. Byrne teed up Healy at the edge of the box and Shels netminder Conor Kearns moved to his left, expecting a shot into that corner.
Instead, the ex-Ipswich youngster found the opposite one and Rovers kept the foot on the pedal. From just inside his area, McGinty did enough to prevent Noonan from having a shot into an empty net.
Byrne fired a free-kick into the wall, Burke had a pop from an acute angle - his shot whistling over the top - and Byrne tried his luck again - this time from play, with Bone deflecting over with a header.
The half ended with Roberto Lopes glancing wide from a corner and, as the second half got underway, Rovers picked up from where they left off with Noonan racing onto Dylan Watts' long ball but shooting at Kearns.
Shels' task looked to have become more difficult when McInroy, who received treatment in the first half, was forced out of the action. Moments later, Bone walked to the dug-out too, with Coote and Sean Gannon replacing them.
Yet the Reds swiftly restored parity. Caffrey whipped a pass crossfield for James Norris, whose cross to the back post and nodded back by Wood into the path of Coote and he fired home from close range.
That lit the spark and the visitors grabbed the lead four minutes later. Working the ball out from Kearns, Shels switched it to the left flank again.
Cameron Ledwidge had plenty of time to deliver the right cross for Odubeko and he clinically dispatched it for his fourth League goal of the season.
It was some turnaround but Rovers battled back. Watts barged his way into the box but fired wide, but from a 66th minute corner Healy got a touch and Grace sent the ball back across the six yard box for Cleary to slot home.
At the other end, Caffrey threatened twice in quick succession without finding the target.
Grant was released by Burke but Kearns stood tall to deny him nine minutes from time as the tension ratcheted up and tempers flared, but the scoring was done.