Shamrock Rovers 5-1 Derry City
James Keddy scored a hat trick and conceded a penalty as Shamrock Rovers finally found their scoring touch by putting five past helpless Derry City.
It was quite an evening for the Rovers striker as his second half hat-trick finally allayed the home supporters fears after they had watched their side trail at the interval. The lead was deserved and the turnaround in the second period was unexpected to say the least.
The visitors took the lead on 13-minutes when a Gary Beckett free kick took a deflection of the wall and left Barry Ryan, the Rovers ‘keeper, with no chance of saving the looping shot.
The heavy rain made conditions difficult but after Forde made hard wok of an early Stephan Grant shot, Rovers failed to threaten as Eamon Doherty controlled the middle of the park for Derry.
It took just two-minutes for the game to turn as Shane Robinson was fouled by Eddie McCallion in the penalty box, and Stephan Gough had no difficulty slamming home the resultant spot kick.
Amazingly, Derry earned a similar spot kick down the other end within a minute when Keddy upended Ciaran Martyn, but Ryan saved Sean Friars kick.
Two goals in ten minutes by Keddy put the game beyond Derry’s reach. His first came 13-minutes into the half as he collected a Robinson pass and outran Peter Hutton to score. A wicked deflection on a 25-yard shot beat the helpless Forde in the Derry goal on 68-minutes and two more goals in the last 12-minutes put a gloss on the night.
Gough scored his second of the night when his cross found its way straight into the Derry net and then with five minutes left on the clock, Keddy completed his hat-trick after he got himself on the end of a Tony Grant centre.
Shamrock Rovers – Ryan, Gough, Byrne, McGuinness, Palmer, Reynolds, Robinson (Lacey 80), T Grant, Fitzpatrick, Keddy, S Grant.
