Shamrock Rovers 1
Limerick 0
SHAMROCK ROVERS ENDED their season with a win tonight against Limerick in Tallaght Stadium thanks to a 56th minute penalty from Gary McCabe.
Both teams had early chances in the opening half, with McCabe threatening first with a strike that went wide of Ali Abass’ goal after eight minutes.
The winger then latched onto Kieran Marty-Waters’ cross from the left, but failed to guide the ball goalwards, and Shane Duggan produced Limerick’s first effort, which was saved by Craig Hyland.
On-loan winger Ian Turner and Lee Lynch showed well for the visitors as the half unfolded, and Kieran Djiali also got on the ball as they attempted to add to their tally of 15 away goals this season.
Simon Madden, as always, offered the Hoops plenty of attacking ammunition and he teed up both Waters and Ciaran Kilduff, but neither managed to break the deadlock.
McCabe went close after that with a swerving shot that had Abass worried, and Luke Byrne blazed over from the rebound with the goal at his mercy.
A neat move involving McCabe and Waters then resulted in the latter finding Kilduff, but he shot over under pressure from Michael Leahy, and Limerick went on to create their best chance of the half with five minutes left to play.
Djiali danced his way through the Rovers midfield and fed Turner who swivelled brilliantly before smashing his strike off the underside of Hyland’s crossbar.
The second half began with the homeside in the ascendancy, and when Sam Oji bundled over Kilduff in the box after 10 second half minutes, McCabe netted the resulting penalty kick.
Limerick, to their credit, continued to press whenever they could, but they rarely had sight of Hyland’s goal, with a Duggan strike, the only notable effort.
Djiali did have the opportunity to earn a late point for Martin Russell’s outfit, but he somehow forced the ball over at the back post from two yards out.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Hyland, Madden, Cornwall, McGuinness, Byrne (Heaney 51), Cregg, McPhail, McCabe, Finn (Brennan 84), Kilduff (Sheppard 61), Marty-Waters. Substitutes: Murphy, Osam, Heaney, Robinson, Brennan, Bayly, Sheppard.
LIMERICK FC: Abass, O’Connor, Leahy, Oji, Lunch, Duggan, Nzuzi (Agyemang 54), Tracy (Ndo 72), Turner, Djiali Mann (Rainsford 72). Substitutes: Cusack, Whitehead, Murphy, Rainsford, Ndo, Feeney, Agyemang.
