Setback for Rovers
Wednesday March 03 2010
SHAMROCK ROVERS' dreams of catching the league leaders were dealt a killer blow when a superb Park Hotspur took all three points from this Wexford Premier Division clash at Rosslare on Sunday morning last.
With Ciarán O'Leary tremendous in goal, pulling off at least six top drawer saves, and Declan Goodison to the fore in midfield, Park Hotsput looked up for this game, with the three points lifting them comfortably into the top half of the table and away from the relegation battle below them.
Shamrock Rovers, eight points adrift of long-time pace-setters, New Ross Celtic, saw any hope they entertained of catching the runaway leaders disappear as a consequence of this result.
Although they put in a storming finish with a James Carty strike making it 3-2, Park Hotspur were not in the mood for surrendering their lead, and with O'Leary and Declan Goodison both inspirational, they held out in what was a thrilling 90 minutes of football.
Both sides went about their business from the kick-off. Just two minutes into the game, Shamrock Rovers should have taken the lead when Tony Kenny, having found himself clear and with only 'keeper O'Leary to beat, somehow pushed his shot to the wrong side of the post when he ought to have scored.
It was a lucky let-off for the home side who began to pull their game together. Both sides created chances, but the superb O'Leary denied Eamonn O'Brien, Ricky Fox and David Whelan with fine saves.
This was turning into a tremendous battle but, despite the freeflowing nature of the football, neither side succeeded in breaking the deadlock during the opening 45 minutes, with Peter Marsden and Fran Dempsey coming close to scoring for the home side, only to be denied by John Thorpe in the visitors' goal.
You could say that there was always something special to come in this game such was the quality of football. Well, that's how it turned out as one was treated to five excellent second-half goals.
The first of those arrived in the 60th minute when Peter Marsden placed a crossfield pass into the path of Paddy King who sent a screamer of a 30-metre shot to the top right-hand corner of the net.
The lead was shortlived though, as Shamrock rovers were back level five minutes when Mikey Dempsey, having made progress out of midfield, beat several tackles before drilling a low shot beyond 'keeper O'Leary for a great equalising goal.
Fifteen minutes from the end, Park Hotspur were back in front when Paul Dempsey rose to a Declan Goodison free kick to power home a superb header, while with ten minutes left, Paul Dempsey added his second with a neat 20-metre shot to make it 3-1.
With five minutes remaining, Shamrock Rovers set up a tense finish when substitute John Carty finished splendidly from the edge of the area, but Park Hotspur held out for the closing minutes to deservedly take all three points.
- BRENDAN FURLONG
