Shelbourne 2
Shamrock Rovers 1
Darryl Geraghty reports from Tolka Park
SHELBOURNE TOOK BRAGGING rights in an enthralling Ringsend derby to earn just their second home win of the season.
The hosts drew first blood when Evan Caffrey finished off a free-flowing move with Adam Brennan levelling just after the break, but match-winner Mipo Odubeko notched shortly after the concession.
The home side, looking for their first home win over the Hoops since 2024, could have taken the lead before the majority of the 5,515 in attendance had taken their seat.
Following a whipped free kick from the left wing, Sam Bone somehow found himself free in a crowded area but failed to get the right contact with his header, as the ball trickled wide.
With a number of players on both sides sporting fresh tans and fades for the Virgin Media TV cameras, seven of the visiting squad had international business to attend to over the break but showed no signs of ring rust responding with a rasping Graham Burke effort from 25 yards that stung the palms of Wessel Speel.
The champions dominated from then on, moving the ball sharply with their carousel of talented attackers and midfielders racking up the touches but failing to threaten in the final third.
An air of complacency seemed to have crept into the visitors play as the one way traffic continued, epitomised by Burke giving the ball away in the most un-Burke like fashion, allowing the relentless Harry Wood to steal possession and launch a blistering counter-attack.
A beautiful free flowing move ended with the man of the match, who started it all, Wood, picking out an inch-perfect first time cross onto the head of Caffrey who nodded the ball back across goal into the bottom corner.
The celebrations were almost short on the stroke of half time when Irish international Adam Brennan spurned a gilt-edged chance, somehow firing over from point blank range on his weaker left foot following Speel’s attempted punch clear.
The visitors upped their intensity and speed of play after the restart and took just 10 minutes to get back on level terms. Following a coming together in which Milan Mbeng stayed down holding his back, Rovers continued under the instruction of the referee to play on as Enda Stevens picked out Jake Mulraney in the box.
The former St Patrick’s Athletic man carefully headed the ball down into the path of Brennan who, on his preferred right foot, unleashed an unstoppable volley from the edge of the area right in front of the travelling support.
But Joey O’Brien’s men showed tremendous character to not let the heads drop and regained the lead just three minutes later. Continuing to show their quality on the break, Shels talisman Wood sprayed the ball forward to Mipo Odubeko who, in turn, faced up Lee Grace before shifting the ball onto his left and letting rip with a powerful low drive that caught McGinty out at the near post to send the home fans wild.
Stephen Bradley unloaded his bench in a desperate bid to find what would have been a second equaliser, calling on the likes of Jon McGovern and the recently linked with Ajax, Michael Noonan to try muster up a moment of magic.
Despite a couple of half chances including Brennan’s curled effort that sailed over and a sharply stopped Matt Healy free kick, the Hoops couldn’t find a way through the resolute Reds rearguard who held on to breathe some life back into the title race.
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel: Milan Mbeng (Sean Gannon, 71’), Sam Bone, Paddy Barrett, Kameron Ledwidge; Daniel Kelly (James Norris, 82’) , Evan Caffrey (Ali Coote, 71’), JJ Lunny, Ellis Chapman (Will Jarvis, 62’), Harry Wood; Mipo Odubeko (Rodrigo Freitas, 82’)
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty: Tunmise Sobowale, Lee Grace, Enda Stevens (Connor Malley, 90+2’); Adam Brennan, Dylan Watts (Michael Noonan, 74’), Matt Healy, Jack Byrne, Jake Mulraney (Danny Grant, 74’); Graham Burke (Naj Razi, 84’), Aaron Greene (John McGovern, 74’)
Referee: Rob Harvey
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Written by Darryl Geraghty and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.