Jason McGuinness rescues point for Rovers

Shamrock Rovers 1 Limerick 1

Jason McGuinness rescued a point for Shamrock Rovers in the seventh minute of injury-time at Tallaght Stadium against a Limerick side that finished with 10 men.

Limerick had the lead through Rory Gaffney’s 14th minute header before McGuinness followed up after stand-in goalkeeper Shane Tracy had saved Sean O’Connor’s penalty. Limerick went ahead when Gaffney was first to reach Tracy’s free-kick and his glancing header flashed past Rovers goalkeeper Barry Murphy and into the far corner.

Rovers could have been level four minutes later when Gary McCabe met Kieran Marty Waters’s short free-kick but Barry Ryan in the Limerick goal reacted quickly and got down to block McCabe’s shot into the bottom left corner.

Rovers had a chance to get back into the game on 49 minutes with a free-kick just outside the penalty area. McCabe took the free but hammered his effort high over the bar.

Penalty
Rovers' Ryan Brennan had the ball in the Limerick net on 64 minutes but referee Rob Rogers stopped play when the offside flag went up and then awarded a penalty having spotted a handball in the build up. Limerick defender Samuel Oji was booked for protesting whilst goalkeeping coach Eddie Hickey was sent to the stands. McCabe took the spot kick but it was blocked by Ryan before Karl Sheppard's follow up was cleared.

Ryan was sent off in injury-time following a tangle with Sheppard and Gaffney saved O'Connor's penalty before McGuinness headed in.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Madden, Cornwall, McGuinness, Byrne; McCabe, Bayly (Sheppard 57 mins), Robinson, Brennan, Waters (O'Connor 77); Kilduff.

LIMERICK: Ryan; Kelly, Oji, Folan, Williams; Tracy, Duggan, Agyemang (Galbraith 71, Hughes, McGrath (Rainsford 79 ); Gaffney (Mann 90).

Referee: R Rogers (Dub).