Bray Wanderers and Shelbourne meet for the first time in four years. But rather than clashing league action, the two clubs will get the chance to lift the revived Leinster Senior Cup when the final is
staged on Monday, August 2 at the Carlisle Grounds (kick-off 3.30 p.m.).

 

The Seagulls will be hoping it proves third time lucky having lost two previous finals back in the same year of 1989 to Bohemians and then St. Patrick's Athletic.

 

"The Leinster Senior Cup is the oldest in the country. The way our season has gone this year, the competition has been a massive boost for us," claimed Wanderers boss Eddie Gormley.

 

"Some players go their entire careers without picking up a medal of any sort. It's a great opportunity for some of our players to achieve that considering so many are just teenagers or in their early 20's."

 

As for Shels, they have won the competition a record 18 times - the last success coming back in 1994. Despite the prospect of picking up silverware in just his fourth game in charge of the Dubliners, Alan Mathews is laid the credit at the feet of the players.

 

"In fairness, it's nothing to do with me - it's all down to the players. They've got themselves into this position. And it's a great opportunity for them to win a trophy. No matter what way you look at
it, if you get to a Cup final you want to win it."

 

So far, Bray's promising striker Shane O'Neill has been the star of the competition. He netted in the Wicklow club's 2-1 win over Athlone Town back in February.

 

The 21-year-old followed that with a double in the 2-2 last eight clash with Dundalk before the Seasiders won 4-3 on penalties last May. And O'Neill then blasted in a hat-trick in the semi final success (3-1) over UCD last month.

 

"It will our fourth game at home in the competition. And hopefully that will work to our advantage if we get a good crowd," said Gormley.

 

"We're probably in the strange position of being favourites. Make no mistakes about it, Shelbourne will be a tough nut to crack. But this is a great opportunity for some of my players to get their first
medal. And the first trophy for the club in ten years."

 

As for the Red's, they overcame Leinster Senior League outfit Tolka Rovers 2-0 at Frank Cooke Park back in February in the opening round. And followed that with a impressive 3-1 triumph over Shamrock Rovers in the Quarter's at Tallaght Stadium.

 

David McGill's extra time winner then saw Shels reach the decider as they came from behind to beat Sporting Fingal 2-1.

 

"Our main objective is promotion from the First Division. Finals don't come round too often. And you have to make the most of it. The lads have done great to get there, knocking out two Premier
Division teams in the process. They deserve their place in the final and hopefully they can take full advantage of that," viewed Mathews.

 

In team news, Brian Kane is set to play between the posts for the Seagulls, with new signing Matt Gregg cup-tied from Dundalk's Quarter Final defeat to Bray.

 

Central defender Derek Prendergast is also cup-tied having lined out in Bangor Celtic's first round loss to UCD. But Adam Mitchell is available after not figuring in that fixture.

 

As for the Tolka Park outfit, Sean Byrne is available after suspension.

Sligo Rovers welcome Dundalk to The Showgrounds on Saturday evening for a crucial Premier Division showdown that both teams will feel they can win.

 

The Bit O'Red have been in good form of late and recently joined league leaders St Patrick's Athletic as joint top scorers on 35 goals with striker Padraig Amond supplying 15 of those.

 

For this game, manager Paul Cook is without the suspended trio of Gavin Peers, Danny Ventre and Richie Ryan, which should lead to a few changes.

 

Derek Foran and Conor O'Grady could earn rare starts, but the fixture may come too early for new signing John Gibson, who arrives from Dundee.

 

Dundalk make the journey out west without Shaun Kelly, Liam Burns, Nathan Murphy and Alan Cawley, so Ian Foster is desperatedly short on numbers.

 

However, he could throw newly-recruited striker Matthew Tipton in straight away as Neale Fenn opted to retire this week due to personal reasons.

A spirited performance from Shamrock Rovers was hugely encouraging in the first leg of their Europa League Third Round qualifier against Juventus, but they slipped to a 2-0 defeat at Tallaght Stadium.

 

After dumping Israeli side Bnei Yehuda out of the competition in their second round clash, the Hoops were high on confidence going into this game and there was a fantastic atmosphere in the Dublin venue.

 

However, they were stunned inside the opening three minutes when Juventus took the lead through Amauri. The Brazilian striker linked up well with playmaker Diego before slotting into the net despite the best efforts of Dan Murray to hook it clear.

 

That slick counter attack caught Rovers offguard, but they responded by putting some decent patterns of play together with Chris Turner and Robert Bayly excelling in centre midfield.

 

Juventus showed their class in flashes with Simone Pepe coming close with a header and Diego blasted a shot wide following a misplaced pass from Craig Sives.

 

Murray had a half chance for the home side, but their best chance in the first period fell to Aidan Price, whose header was deflected over by Marco Motta after he had got up to meet James Chambers' corner.

 

The Italian team were a joy to watch at times with Diego acting as puppeteer in the No 10 role, while Amauri proved to be a constant threat up front for the Serie A gaints.

 

After the interval, Rovers almost levelled matters when Murray rose highest to connect with Thomas Stewart's cross, but his powerful header was just wide.

 

Then Turner fired over after a surging run forward before Juventus turned things in their favour and showed just how devastating they can be when Amauri turned his marker and struck the post with his shot.

 

The former Palermo striker didn't have to wait long to light up the scoreboard again when he headed in Motta's cross following another quick breakaway from the visitors.

 

Amauri and Alessandro Del Piero had chances late on to add to the scoreline, but both were off-target. So Rovers conceded two away goals and have a lot to do going into next week's second leg, but their overall performance is one that they should be proud of.

 

Shamrock Rovers: Mannus; Sives, Price, Murray, Stevens; Chambers (Kavanagh 77), Rice (Dennehy 65), Turner, Bayly (Bradley 90), Stewart; Twigg.

 

Substitutes Not Used: Jennings, Flynn, Murphy, O'Connor.

 

Juventus: Stoari; Motta, Chiellini, Bonucci, De Ceglie; Pepe, Sissoko, Marchisio (Ekdal 89), Lanzafame (Martinez 51); Diego (Del Piero 82), Amauri.

 

Substitutes Not Used: Manninger, Grygera, Ferrero, Trezeguet.

 

Referee: D Fernandez Borbalan (ESP).

A two goal salvo in the space of fifteen second half minutes saw Bray deservedly take all three points from this one a result that gives them hope of catching Drogheda in what’s now developed into a two horse race to avoid automatic relegation from the Premier Division.

 

Drogheda began in blistering fashion and could have been ahead as early as the second minute but for the intervention of Wanderers keeper Matt Gregg who raced from his line to get a block on John Floods shot.

 

Peter Mc Mahon then curled the ball only just the wrong side of the post before calling Gregg into action once more as he did really well to get his body behind a rasping drive.

 

As the half wore on however Bray settled to their task and they should have hit the front coming to the half-hour when Sean Houston eased past several challenges down the left before crossing for Shane O’Neill whose header down into the turf sailed over the bar.

 

United enjoyed much the better of the early exchanges in the second half as Flood went close twice with a header and shot but the home side were rocked when Bray scored with 55 minutes gone.

 

A move begun by John Mulroy involving Jake Kelly and Danny O’Connor saw Mulroy all too easily ghost through the heart of the home defence before planting his shot past Robert Duggan.

 

Chris Shields was only inches away from making it two with his powerful shot, however, it wasn’t long before Wanderers did double their advantage.  Yet more shocking defending by Drogheda saw Daire Doyle’s cross from the right sail over Ryan Brennan to Jake Kelly who drove the ball first time to the net.

 

Before the finish the home side’s night of woe was compounded on the double when firstly Corie Treacy was sent off following a reckless challenge on Chris Shields and Eric McGill followed him for an early shower when he was booked for a second time right on the final whistle.

 

Drogheda United: Duggan, Treacy, Kendrick (Osbourne 78), McNally, McGill, Daly, Crowley (Meenan 79), Flood, McMahon, Fitzpatrick (McEnteggart 74), Brennan.

 

Bray Wanderers: Gregg, S O’Connor, Houston, Mitchell (Webster 61), Prendergast, D O’Connor, Doyle, G Kelly (Shields 10), O’Neill, Mulroy, J Kelly.

 

Referee: N Doyle (Dublin).

Striker Karl Sheppard's classy early second half goal was enough to give Galway United only their sixth Premier Division victory of the season and keep them a comfortable eight points clear of the relegation zone in last night's uninspiring clash with UCD at the Belfield Bowl.

 

College had two early chances when defender Gareth Matthews played a clever ball through the middle which set up a chance for winger Keith Ward whose shot from the edge of the box was saved at the second attempt by 'keeper Barry Ryan.

 

Then a corner by Ward on the right allowed central defender Evan McMillan to get in a powerful header well taken by Ryan.

 

Galway threatened on 17 minutes when striker Sheppard set up a chance for midfielder Stephen O'Donnell only to see his 12 yard effort pushed away by 'keeper Ger Barron.

 

Ryan again denied Ward before College almost broke the deadlock on the half hour when a Ciaran Kilduff effort on the turn from 20 yards was narrowly deflected for a corner by Jamie McKenzie.

 

Kilduff again went close on 35 minutes when accepting another defence splitting pass from Ward only to shoot narrowly wide of the target. And the striker was then denied when Ryan parried an effort from 12 yards.

 

It was all one way traffic in the direction of the Galway goal when first a Chris Mulhall corner was headed narrowly over by McMillan.

 

But in a rare breakaway, Sheppard almost stole the lead for the visitors only for Barron to make a saving block with the College defence happy to scramble the rebound to safety. 

 

The Westerners started the second half in a more determined mood and had their noses in front on 48 minutes when a cross by winger Derek O'Brien from the left enabled Sheppard to clinically finish low from eight yards giving Barron no chance.

 

Then on 75 minutes an excellent cross-field ball from Seamus Conneely allowed O'Brien to get in an angled shot pushed out by the alert Barron. Galway were then happy to soak up a lot of late pressure from the home side to collect another valuable three points.

 

UCD: Barron; Matthews, E.McMillan, Boyle, Nangle; Ward, O'Conor, Creevy (Corry 58); Wilson, Kilduff, Mulhall.

 

Galway United: Ryan; Conneely, McKenzie, Sinnott, Meynell; Curran, O'Donnell, Foley, O'Brien; Sheppard, Walsh (King 64).

 

Referee: R Rogers (Dublin).