Morley on mark in Shelbourne stroll

THERE are 2-6 wins and there are 2-0 wins but this was as about as convincing as you can get. Though the second of Pat Morley's headed brace was shrouded in controversy, there was no doubting the merit of Shelbourne's victory at Tolka Park last night.

Rovers had their isolated moments of danger, using the extra runner from midfield in a 4-5-1 formation to some effect early on but Shelbourne quickly got hold of the match and rarely relinquished it.

Even when trailing by 1-0 for much of the second half, Rovers were hardly allowed a kick of the ball. About two hiccups apart, the Shelbourne back four, indeed the back five, were solid, keeping a fourth clean sheet in six unbeaten games.

In midfield Dave Campbell and Tony Sheridan successfully negated Rovers' extra man, the former dominating the 50-50 balls and the latter then using the extra space as Rovers tired and reverted to 4-4-2.

Not that the change in tactics was that noticeable, so often were all bar Tony Cousins pegged back into their own half or even their own area. However, it was on the flanks that Rovers were truly skinned.

It was surprising that Pat Byrne restored Keith Lambert to right full back given that Mark Rutherford has found his most consistent spell of form in a red shirt. You even felt some sympathy for the miscast ex Galway centre half.

With Leonard Curtis employed on the left, it gave Rovers a back four of centre halves, and Pascal Vaudequin was only marginally less productive in peppering the Rovers' area. And then, last night, it was Morley who applied the finishing touches to his budding partnership with Stephen Geoghegan.

Once Greg Costello had made an early block on Derek Tracey from Marc Kenny's ball over the top after seven minutes, the traffic was mostly one way. Chances began to mount with increasing frequency, the only let down from the perspective of Shelbourne's vocal tans was the quality of their finishing.

But the inevitable breakthrough came six minutes before the break, Rovers cracking under incessant pressure. Rutherford once more outpaced Lambert, Horgan palming the cross as far as Campbell before producing a double save to deny the Shelbourne midfielder and Morley - Gino Brazil then clearing off the line from Morley.

Back it came though, Declan Geoghegan teeing up Vaudequin for another penetrating centre which Pat Scully nodded down; Morley stooping to conquer with the deftest of glancing headers inside the post.

Rovers somehow hung on through a one sided second half - substitute Sean Kavanagh even slicing a chance out of the blue - from Tracey's cross - but the game was finally put beyond them after 72 minutes with a delightful goal.

It had its origins in a cruel bobble on Leonard Curtis, Sheridan winning the ball for Vaudequin to race down the flank. Mick Tomney, so excellent he had hardly been noticed to that point, correctly over ruled a linesman's flag as the Frenchman beat Paul Whelan and crossed for Morley to apply a classic downward header.