KENNY IS ROCK SOLID

Johnny denies Tribe to rescue point for Rovers

SHAMROCK Rovers came into this game missing 10 players. They left it missing nearly as many chances.

And yet frustration gave way to relief late on, as the Hoops were able to celebrate a Johnny Kenny goal, scored six minutes from the end, at a time when a defeat seemed inevitable.

Yet it never is with Rovers. So often over the last four and a half years, they have found a way to get something.

Late goals have become

DEFYING THE ODDS: Stephen Walsh celebrates giving Galway the lead

by Garry DOYLE

their speciality. They profited from another one here when Kenny, a second half substitute, rose above the Galway defence to power a header beyond Brendan Clarke.

Cue an explosion of noise from the majority of the 5,629 fans inside Tallaght.

They’d watch the remaining minutes in hope of something more. Yet it never came.

Originally, they had come here expecting to see a procession.

Casualty

Instead they saw the lengthiest casualty list in peacetime.

Ten Rovers players were absent. So, they were up against it.

And Galway nearly made them pay.

Forced to defend for their lives almost from the opening whistle, they then launched a counter surge on 54 minutes which ended with a Stephen Walsh goal, and ultimately, a valuable point.

For a time, they even looked like leaving Tallaght with their first win over Rovers in

Dublin since 1994. That one came at the RDS; this their first point against Rovers since 2009.

Galway’s early strategy worked, Rovers restricted to three chances in the opening half, one coming from a clever corner routine, two from open play.

Yet on no occasion in the first half was Brendan Clarke, their veteran keeper, tested.

Instead this became a battle of wills. Could Rovers hold their nerve? Could Galway hold out?

Patience

The answer to the latter question was yes — for 84 minutes. Then Kenny popped up with that crucial header.

Before then, Galway’s patience was paying off.

Early on they were getting little triumphs in unexpected areas, Aodh Dervin — a central midfielder — operated on the right and forced a couple of overlaps down that flank in the opening half.

Nothing, ultimately, came of them.

But a marker had been set. Rovers knew they had to respect Galway’s threat on the counter.

And they did.

Even so, as the first half progressed, they began to advance deeper and deeper into Galwegian territory,

B CLARKE ...................................... 8 J ESUA ........................................... 6 R SLEVIN ........................................ 8 K BROUDER ................................... 8 A KAZEEM ....................................... 7 A DERVIN ....................................... 6 C McCORMACK ............................... 7 V BORDEN ....................................... 7 K O’SULLIVAN ................................. 7 D HURLEY ....................................... 7 E McCARTHY ................................... 7

S Walsh (for Dervin, 46 mins) ........ 8 M Nugent (for Hurley, 85)

C O’Keeffe (for Slevin, 90 )

P Hickey (Borden) 90

ROVER DEFENCE

They all went missing for Galway’s goal

ATTENDANCE: frequently posting all 10 of their outfield players into the Galway half, carving open a chance here and there.

Darragh Nugent had one. He blazed over.

Darragh Burns had another. His effort was also off target.

Half-time arrived and the only question on anyone’s lips was when would the opening goal arrive?

Penalty

The answer, it seemed, would be on 47 minutes 52 seconds, when Rovers forced a penalty for a handball by Jeannot Esua.

Up stepped Dylan Watts. Brendan Clarke’s save — diving low to his right — was the best of the season so far.

That’s the sort of thing that gives a team oxygen.

And Galway were breathing even easier when they took the lead on 54 minutes.

It came from an Ed McCarthy flick, which sent Stephen Walsh clear on goal. His low shot went past Leon Pohls.

Now while you cannot ignore the fact that Rovers were without all those key players, you cannot overlook the brilliance and bravery of Galway’s defending.

They earned this point the hard way.

Then again, nothing ever has come easy for them here.