SHAMROCK ROVERS 2 CITY 2
City win 4-3 on penalties
Shamrock Challenge Cup
18th March 1991
attendance 17,000(approx)
Scorers
City Quinn(18), Hughes(pen)
Rovers Swan(60 & 75)
Ref D McArdle
City Coton, Brightwell, Hill, Harper, Hendry, Redmond, White, Heath, Quinn, Brennan, Hughes – Subs Reid(41), Margetson(45), A Ward(61), M Ward(61), Allen(75)
Shamrock Rovers Kavanagh, Byrne, Eccles, Murphy, Cooney, Campbell, Connell, Poutch, Treacy, Arkins, Swan – Subs Devine(80), Dolan(84)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
TEENAGE NINJA HERO ROVERS TURN TURTLE
REPORT FROM THE IRISH INDEPENDENT 19TH MARCH 1991
Derek Swan nabbed a second half brace as Shamrock Rovers came from two down in the second half of the Shamrock Challenge at RDS yesterday.
City went on to win on penalties and Niall Quinn quipped: “That’s my first trophy with this club. Let’s hope it’s a good sign.”
Rovers had missed two of their five penalties, Swan, ending a brilliant display on the wrong note, and Wayne Cooney being the culprits.
Dublin had welcomed the Bank Holiday fixture with an enormous crowd, estimated (optimistically perhaps) at 17,000 by Rovers.
The away side threatened to overwhelm The Hoops, who had started with five teenagers In the opening 20 minutes. Niall Quinn, given a rip-roaring cheer during the team announcements scored the opener after 18 minutes.
It was third time lucky for the lofty Irish striker, who had blasted one chance wide from the edge of the box and then knocked the ball over from barely four yards.
This time he found the target after Mark Brennan chipped a free kick to the far post and Colin Hendry headed it across to the unmarked Irish striker in front of goal.
By this stage it was obvious that Vinny Arkins reputation, had preceded him and City and England under-23 captain Steve Redmond shadowed him.
But it was Swan who was bursting into full flight. A neat move from Barry Murphy to Dave Connell then let in Swan And his dangerous cross had to be knocked away for a corner by Hendry.
An Ian Brightwell raid down the right saw him cross to Adrian Heath and the little striker’s shot beat Kavanagh before being handled on the line by Murphy. Murphy
was booked; Hughes planted The spot kick.
On the hour, Swan lifted Rovers’ hopes by latching onto a ball by Derek Treacy and getting to the edge of the box before smashing home a goal.
City began a flurry of substitutions, but in the 75th minute Rovers found route one to goal. Kavanagh hoisted a huge wind assisted kick-out behind the City defence, Swan raced after it and lobbed the first hop over Margaetson, who had got lost in no man’s land between himself And the goal.