FAI Cup semi-final: Shamrock Rovers 6 [Burke 18, 23; Noonan 45+2, 68; Watts 50 pen; Barrett 90+1] Kerry FC 1 [Adams 56 pen]
Graham Burke and Michael Noonan both scored twice – though the experienced Burke was fortunate not to have been subsequently sent off – as Shamrock Rovers eased into the FAI Cup final in comfortably seeing off First Division Kerry at Tallaght Stadium.
Despite the sobering defeat, this semi-final marked a historic day for Kerry in what was the biggest game in their three-year history in the League of Ireland.
It also came close to making it a celebratory few hours on the double for Rovers in adding to their illustrious history.
Minutes before kick-off in Dublin 24, Michael Duffy’s 94th-minute goal gave Derry City a 1-0 home win over Sligo Rovers to postpone Rovers clinching the league title until at least next Friday when they meet reigning champions Shelbourne at Tallaght Stadium.
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With their record-extending 22nd title thus on hold, victory here keeps Rovers on course to potentially add to their 25 FAI Cup wins when they meet Cork City on November 9th at the Aviva Stadium.
Having played Bohemians in the opening league game there in February, Rovers will thus end their domestic season where it began.
With five changes from their 4-1 Conference League defeat at Sparta Prague on Thursday, Rovers started purposefully and were ahead after 18 minutes.
Dan Cleary’s ball forward broke off Noonan to run for Adam Matthews. The wing back played it back to Noonan who slipped Burke through to toe past Darragh Foley to mean he has now scored in all four rounds of the cup so far.
Five minutes later Kerry were all too easily cut open again as Rovers almost nonchalantly doubled their lead.
Dylan Watts’s sublime ball in behind found the run of Danny Mandroiu who fed Burke to shoot past Foley for his fifth goal in the competition this season.
Kerry had plaintive claims for a penalty that never entertained by referee Paul McLaughlin when Joseph Adams went down claiming a push from Cleary.
Adams was then central to a flare up on 35 minutes which saw Burke most fortunate not to be sent off.
The Kerry midfielder slid right under his opposite number 10 on the touchline in what was a pretty dreadful challenge. Burke reacted angrily by slamming Adams’s head into the ground in retaliation.
After a bout of pushing and shoving, Adams and Burke received yellow cards, relief for the latter as a red would have meant missing the final.
Burke’s eventful half then saw him set up Watts for what should have been Rovers’ third goal only to see his fellow midfielder shoot off target.
Watts was far more precise with a cross that did extend Rovers’ lead in first-half stoppage time, although Foley might have done better in keeping out 17-year-old Noonan’s downward header.
Not surprisingly, Burke was one of two substitutions head coach Stephen Bradley made ahead of the second half.
And the one-way traffic was duly maintained as Rovers extended their lead within five minutes.
Noonan first won a corner from Foley’s save before Watts’s delivery saw Oran Crowe bundle Josh Honohan over in the area to concede a penalty. With Burke off the field, Watts stepped up to blast to the roof of the net from 12 yards.
A penalty at the other end six minutes later, when Rovers captain Roberto Lopes pulled down striker Daniel Okwute, gave Kerry’s admirably raucous support of 1,200 some cheer when Adams sent Ed McGinty the wrong way.
Service resumed at the other end with Rovers restoring their four-goal advantage on 67 minutes.
An attempted clearance ricocheted into the path of the precocious Noonan who skilfully dribbled by Chris McQueen to slide his shot under Foley for a well-taken second goal of the game.
Cian Barrett, a former Kerry loanee, completed the scoring in added time, sidefooting home fellow substitute and Tralee native Gary O’Neill’s cross.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: McGinty; Cleary (O’Neill, 64), Lopes, O’Sullivan; Matthews, Healy (Barrett, 64), Watts, Honohan (Malley, 64); Mandroiu (Gaffney, h-t), Burke (Kavanagh, h-t); Noonan.
KERRY FC: Foley; Barrett, Brockwell, McQueen, O’Connell; Mujaguzi (Aladesanusi, 30), Crowe; Cleary (Brosnan, 60), Teahan, Adams (Healy, 60); Okwute (McGrath, 78).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).
Attendance: 5,438.
