Shamrock Rovers (Friendly)

Encouraging performance from the Youths in Tallaght tonight as, with a more effective gameplan than against Shels, they kept Rovers comfortably at bay for long periods, especially during the better first-half. Youths started with Graham Doyle, Shane Clarke, CJ Browne, Jamie Carr, James Darmody, Shane Nolan, Patsy, John Yeats, Brian Nolan, and Danny and Tom Elmes up front. Youths started the better and after two, Patsy had a twenty five effort just wide with the Rovers keeper beaten. After five, Danny put a good cross into the box but Tom was just unable to get onto the end of it. Game was quiet for a good spell thereafter but after twenty-five, Shane Nolan broke free on the right but his cross was just too high for Danny about eight yards out. GRaham had had little to do up to this other than to collect a routine cross but just before the half-hour, a free header for Rovers from a corner came out for a Rovers attacker to hit a rising shot off the underside of the cross bar but it stayed out.

Danny then picked up a yellow for a tackle and with, five to go, Rovers had another free header but it went a couple of yards wide. Rovers then picked up a yellow for another tackle and Shane Clarke, who is quick and impressive and had been doing a great job keeping Billy Dennehy quiet, hobbled off with James Scallan coming on. This was to prove a key moment as the first time, Dennehy got the ball against Scallan, he was given too much time to cross and his pinpoint effort found Twigg in the box and a fabulous directed header gave Graham no chance off the left-hand post for 1-0 to Rovers. With James DArmody almost as good on Daryl Kavanagh on the other wing and some reasonable pressing high up the pitch by the Youths, Rovers had been kept reasonably ineffective during the first 45.
1-0 at half-time.

Second half was less of a contest as the Youths made five changes at half-time with Shane Dempsey, Shaun Corcoran, Neil Phelan, Aidan Keenan and Cormac O'Brien coming on whilst Rovers made only one change at the start of the half but then made plenty more as the half wore on. The changes rendered the Youths much less effective and Rovrs had it much easier in the second 45. After 12, Rovers got their second when the ref. awarded a peno for a block on a Rovers forward going through. Dennehy put it low left with Cormac O'Brien going the wrong way. Game deteriorated after that although midway through the half, Shane D. took on a first time well-controlled effort from just outside the circle which smacked against the crossbar with the Rovers keeper nowhere. Cormac then pushed an effort against his own crossbar and collected the rebound and made two good saves against the Rovers replacement right-back coming in from the right for a two-nil final score to Rovers.

Encouragement for the Youths came from their useful first half with CJ at the back, John Yeats and Patsy in the middle, Shane Nolan wide right and Shane CLarke before he went off doing best. Shane Keegan needs to work on his defenders picking up the opposing attackers at, at most, touching distance when crosses are being delivered as they cough up too many free headers to opposing teams at the moment by ball-watching. 2-0 at full time.

Good report Forza. Youths look in pretty good shape this season, look organised and stronger than previous seasons. A few players look like they good do with staying out of the chipper a bit more though! Shane Clarke is unbelievably quick, made Dennehy look slow and he's no slouch, I went in for soup when he was being taken off thinking it was just half time and missed the goal. Youths definitely gave away a few too many free headers in the box and missed Patsy in the second half, he really seems to have matured and improved and he'll be absolutely key for Youths this season. Danny Furlong and Elmes look to be developing a good understanding too, Danny should score plenty this season if he can avoid injury. Not many faces left now from the early days but hopefully the new lads can improve on last seasons efforts.

karl keogh isnt joinin us after his trial with us it was confd at drogs friendly so he may go back to you

Good work. Best of luck this season from a Saints fan.