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Hoops seal U20 crown
SHAMROCK Rovers sealed the Airtricity Dr Tony O’Neill Under-20 League title with a dramatic penalty-shootout victory over Bohemians at Tallaght Stadium on Thursday night.



The Hoops struck a late equalizer in normal time to cancel out a first-half lead their Dublin rivals desperately hung on to and goalkeeper Robert Hughes proved the penalty-shootout hero with a winning save.



It was very much a case of defences on top in the opening exchanges until the visitors carved out the first opening of note on 15 minutes.



Keith Buckley was played in down the right wing and did everything right with a powerful low drive across goal, however, David Lodolia was inches away from getting his toe to the ball and almost-certainly finding the net.



Minutes later another clever pass, this time a through ball from Gary Burke after some good build-up play from Bohs on the edge of the area, almost found Buckley free at the back post, but like Lodolia before him he failed to make the minimum contact required to score.



Despite the chances, full back Jack Memery could have, and probably should have, gave Rovers the lead soon after when he headed wide at the back post from Sean Gannon’s diagonal free kick into the area.



Bohs goalkeeper Craig Sexton had to beat away a Daniel McGuinness corner under pressure immediately after as Rovers applied the pressure, but the momentum dramatically swung back in the visiting side’s favour just before the break.



Burke again was the architect as he toyed with the Rovers defence before playing in Stephen Traynor and the midfielder’s burst into the area allowed him to finish into the bottom corner.



To their credit, Rovers responded instantly and only a last-ditch intervention from Roberto Lopez denied McGuinness a tap in after Conor Murphy had nodded the ball into his path and even Colm Corcoran’s follow up was bravely blocked than by Lopez.



Even despite the miss, the home side should have gone into the break level as both McGuinness and Murphy wasted golden opportunities in the final minute of the half after sneaking in behind the Bohs defence.



Rovers brought their momentum into the second half with them and half-time substitute Abiola Samussi was unlucky not to score as he fired across the face of the goal.



Murphy looked certain to reward a buccaneering period of attacking play with the equalizing goal when he was played through on goal, but despite doing everything right and firing across goal he just missed the target.



A rare breakaway by Bohs saw Burke carve out a half chance for Traynor, but the midfielder hesitated to shoot and was crowded out and at the other end Buckley had to clear Donal Brannigan’s goalbound header from a corner off the line.

Just as their hopes looked to fading, the Hoops finally got the equalizer their second-half performance deserved when Samussi was left alone at the back post to fire across goal and into the far corner.



Rovers substitute Keith Kinsella wasted a golden opportunity to clinch the title near the end of the second-half of extra time, before Bohs replacement Stephen Chambers went close, but the sides required a shootout to be separated.



Rovers goalkeeper Hughes fired home his sides first, before Shane Keely hit the crossbar for Bohs, but Colm Corcoran’s miss allowed Lodolia to level the scores and Donal Brannigan’s miss was capitalised on by Kevin Feely as Bohs lead after three kicks each.



Hughes than saved from Traynor to level the scores once again and despite Craig Sexton saving from Darran Murray, Declan Brennan hit the post with his kick and Hughes’ save from Christopher Forrester gave Rovers the win.







SHAMROCK ROVERS: R Hughes; S Gannon, J Memery, D Brannigan (K Kinsealla 81); J Flood, C Kinnear (D Murray 67), M Doyle, C Corcoran, C Early; C Murphy, D McGuinness (A Samussi HT).



Not used: S Byrne, C Rothery.



BOHEMIANS: C Sexton; M O’Reilly, R Lopez (D Brennan 88), K Feely, A Corcoran; L Dixon (C Forrester 67), S Traynor, S Keely, K Buckley (S Chambers 75); G Burke, D Lodolia.



Not used: D Kavanagh, M Mayer.



Referee: R Daly (Dublin).
 
 
 
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