Showing posts with label Gary McCabe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gary McCabe. Show all posts

Wednesday, 9 June 2010

Top Honours for Rovers at UCD

UCD 0 – 2 Sligo Rovers | Airtricity Premier League

Rovers fans who have travelled to UCD in recent years, well read or not, have rarely enjoyed their time watching their sides exploits against the Students. But on this particular evening Padraig Amond and Gavin Peers were on hand to ensure there was plenty to celebrate.

Goals in the opening moments of each half secured three points for the visitors in a game that could have been a potential banana skin for Rovers.

Joseph Ndo won a free kick after some 30 seconds, and it was swung into the UCD box by Richie Ryan. The Student’s keeper, Billy Brennan failed to claim the incoming ball and it fell to the feet of Danny Ventre, whose shot was guided into the net by Padriag Amond, extending his league goals for the season to 10.

UCD went close after a quarter of an hour with midfielder Greg Bolger having a shot deflected over Richard Brush’s bar.

Chris Mulhall was giving Iarfhlaith Davoren a hard time down the right wing and showing his ability, he beat the former Galway United man and crossed to find Keith Ward who shot over the bar.

The second half began with another mistake by Brennan. Again he failed to claim a cross that found its way to Joseph Ndo. Ndo squared to John Dillon who shot across the face of goal.

Gavin Peers had been threatening to score in recent games from corners and on 47 minutes the Dubliner who has been attracting attention from across the water powered home a Joey Ndo corner.

The home side always threatened to score and just after the hour mark Evan McMillan connected with a Brian Shortall cross but the woodwork was on hand to save Richard Brush’s blushes.

Rovers were happy to surrender the majority of the possession to Martin Russell’s side and try and capitalise on the break. One such opportunity saw John Russell go close, shooting just wide, after the industrious Ndo linked up well with John Dillon who set up Russell.

With a quarter of an hour left Richard Brush kept Rovers in the game saving from Evan McMillan on two occasions.

The heat was turned up in the final minutes of the game with two straight red cards issued for each side. Referee Declan Hanney adjudged Alan Keane’s strong tackle on Ciaran Nangle a sending off offence, despite some Rovers fans who were close to the incident claiming Keane won the ball.

And Greg Bolger was given his marching orders after a clash with Richard Brush.

The result leaves Rovers in seventh, a point behind UCD and just 8 points off St Pats at the summit, as the league goes into its two week sabbatical. Next up for Paul Cook and Co. is the visit of St Pat’s for the fifth meeting of the side to date this season.

Between now and then personal changes are expected in the Rovers squad, with Romould Boco rumoured to be returning to the Showgrounds. Former St Pat’s, Bohs and Shelboure defender Colin Hawkins has also been on trial on Church Hill in recent weeks. Hawkins is currently playing his football with Brighton & Hove Albion.

UCD: B Brennan, A Boyle, S Harding, E McMillan, C Nangle, G Bolger, P Corry, D McMillan, C Mulhall, K Ward, C Kilduff. SUBS R Creevy, M McGinley, G Rusk(for Ward 55”), B Shortall (Harding on 55”), D Wilson.

Sligo Rovers: R Brush, I Davoren, A Keane, G Peers, D Ventre, J Dillon, J Ndo, J Russell, R Ryan, P Amond, E Doyle. SUBS: C Kelly, M Doninger, G McCabe(for Doyle 61”), C O’Grady, P Whelan.

Sunday, 9 May 2010

A GOAL AT LAST, BUT NO POINTS

Sligo Rovers 1 – 2 Bohemians

Sligo Rovers failed to move out of the bottom three in the Airtricity League of Ireland after a 2-1 loss to Bohemians in the Showgrounds on Saturday night. Goals from Jason Byrne and substitute Mark Quigley eared Pat Felon’s side all three points in what was a hard fought fixture.

On a positive note Sligo Rovers did end their 294 minute wait for a goal with Matthew Blinkhorn converting just before the hour mark. The last time a Rovers player found the net (Paidraig Amond) was in the 1-1 draw with Shamrock Rovers in Tallagh Stadium on the 26th of April; having played Sporting Fingal and Galway since this latest loss to Bohemians.

The reigning league champions travelled to the North West without a number of their first choice players. Captain Owen Heary, Steven Gray and Ken Oman were all out injured, while winger Gareth McGlynn is serving a ban.

The home side had the majority of chances throughout the game and it was Captain Conor O’Grady who went closest first, shooting over from close range. O’Grady received the ball to feet 12 yards out from goal after good work wide on the left from Gary McCabe and Joseph Ndo, but he couldn’t hit the target.

Former Bit O’Red winger Anto Murphy made life difficult for left back Danny Ventre. The Liverpool native found his name in referee Anthony Buttimer’s book after 14 minutes after pulling down the attacking Murphy.

Gary McCabe was the liveliest for Rovers. On 28 minutes the former Bray Wanderer was hauled down by Glenn Cronin just outside keeper Barry Murphy’s penalty area resulting in a free kick to the right of the area. It was a perfect opportunity for the left foot of Richie Ryan and despite standing over the ball, it was left to Joseph Ndo striking the free with his right and failing to trouble the Bohs rearguard.

Soon after that Bohemians took the lead. With 38 minutes gone Brian Shelley showed good movement to make space from Derek Foran and flashed a low cross in to find Jason Byrne who shot to the right of Richard Brush finding the net.

Just before the half time whistle Paul Cook’s side swept up field with Ndo, Blinkhorn and Ryan all contributing to a move that resulted in McCabe shooting over the bar.

Rovers started much the better of the two in the second half, McCabe again causing trouble and winning free kicks in dangerous positions, but the resulting attempts on goal lacked accuracy.

Rovers breakthrough came on the hour mark. Joseph Ndo’s corner from the left hand side at the Railway end found the head of the rising Matthew Blinkhorn who neatly put the ball past Barry Murphy.

That goal gave the home side a hunger for a second and with the chant of ROVERS, ROVERS, echoing around the Showgrounds O’Grady found himself in a shooting position only yards out from goal, he failed to grasp the nettle and laid off for the on-running McCabe whose looping shot beat Murphy in the visitors goal only to rattle the crossbar.

Keeping with tradition Paul Cook saw fit to withdraw the Bit O’Red’s most threatening player in the second half, replacing wide man Gary McCabe with John Dillon.

Half way through the second half Pat Fenlon withdrew full back and Sligo native Mark Rossiter opting for attacking midfielder Mark Quigley in an effort to counteract the homes side’s dominance.

With just over 5 minutes remaining the switch paid off. Paul Cook’s side began to tire and Quigley found himself in space at the back post. Fellow substitute Aaron Green picked out Quigley with a pass across the face of goal leaving the purple booted Quigley to tap in past a stranded Richard Brush.

All in all it was another game Rovers should have gained at least a point from.
However, another positive along with the Blinkhorn’s goal was the performance of Derek Foran, starting only his second league game of the season, the former Bray centre half did little wrong and should grow in confidence alongside Gavin Peers in the absence of Mauro Almeida who will be out for a number of months with following an operation on his Achilles.

Next up for Rovers is the EA Sports League Cup 2nd Round tie, home to Letterkenny Rovers next Tuesday night. It’s expected recent signing and former Galway United centre midfielder John Russell will make his debut the Bit O’Red.

Sligo Rovers: R Brush, D Ventre , D Foran, G Peers, A Keane, G McCabe, C O’Grady (for M Doninger 89”), R Ryan, E Doyle, M Blinkhorn, J Ndo. SUBS: C Kelly, P Whelan, J Dillon (for McCabe 78”), M Donning (for O’Grady 89”) P Amond (for Doyle on 87”)

Bohemians: B Murphy, C Powell, J McGuinnness, G Cronin, M Rossiter, K Brennan, B Shelley, P Keegan, A Murphy, J Byrne, R Cretaro. SUBS: C O’Connor, G Burke, R Higgins (for Byrne 88”), A Greene (for Cretaro 78”), M Quigley (for Rossiter 66”)