Kilduff brace sees Rovers take control

Shamrock Rovers 4 Linfield 1:The second leg of this Setanta Sports Cup tie next week in Belfast may not be quite as keenly anticipated as the first after Shamrock Rovers took a commanding lead over the first 90 minutes thanks to goals from Ronan Finn, Ciaran Kilduff and Stephen Rice last night in Tallaght.

Kilduff got two, one in each half, while Finn’s tap in after Seán O’Connor’s shot had been parried got a good night for the locals started and Rice’s cool finish to the bottom right corner seven minutes from time all but booked their place in the competition’s last four.

For the most part it was comfortable stuff for Trevor Croly’s side although when they drifted for a while early in the second half Billy Joe Burns got the goal of the night from 25 yards.

That made it 2-1 and briefly threatened to provide the visitors with the basis for a fightback before Rovers’s late goals and Barry Murphy’s 90th-minute penalty save from Brian McCaul had the locals singing as they waited for the final whistle of the night to blow.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Sullivan, Foran, McGuinness, Powell; Chambers; Sheppard (McCabe, 70 mins) Finn, Robinson (Rice, 76 mins), O’Connor (Stewart, 86 mins); Kilduff.

LINFIELD: Glendinning; Ervin, Armstrong, Murphy, Burns; Garrett (Henderson, 70 mins), Mulgrew; Lowry, McCaul, Carvill; Thompson (Browne, 78 mins). Referee: N Doyle (Dublin).