Home Farm victory delays the inevitable

AN opportunistic late goal from Trevor Vaughan provided bottom of the table Home Farm with only their second win of the season as they staved of the mathematical certainty of their relegation for another week at least, with a damaging defeat of fellow strugglers Shamrock Rovers, before another meagre attendance at Tolka Park last night.

Shamrock Rovers once more seemed to have come from two goals down with another rousing second half display, to salvage a match that appeared to have gone well away from them, but, having drawn level at 2-2 with 15 minutes to go and pressing for the winner, they gave away their third bad goal of the game with eight minutes remaining and this time there was no coming back.

Rovers now face a daunting assignment when they travel to play Dundalk at Oriel Park next week in a play off six pointer.

A bizarre own goal gave Home Farm the lead after 34 minutes. The game had been dour up until then and the sloppy goal just about summed up what had gone before. Home Farm goalkeeper Robbie Forde's long clearance from outside his area appeared to pose little danger as it bounced once, some 40 yards from the Rovers goal. Rovers defender Gino Brazil then attempted to find his goalkeeper, Robbie Horgan, with a flick header but the ball flew past Horgan and into the net.

To add insult to injury, literally Rovers conceded another bad goal two minutes before the break while down to 10 players. Their left back, Leonard Curtis had just retired injured following a challenge by Vaughan. And as Rovers prepared to bring on substitute Niall Keogh, Home Farm scored. John Coady played the ball back to Thomas Lawless, whose ball over the top caught Rovers square and Liam Kelly ran in to clip the ball over the advancing Horgan from 12 yards.

Rovers redeemed their inept first half showing with a goal within two minutes of the re start. Former Rovers' player, Peter Eccles, failed to cut out a diagonal ball from Keogh and Pat Fenlon raced in behind the defence to lob the ball over Forde.

After 75 minutes, a sweeping move involving Derek Tracey and Fenlon created a tremendous equaliser from Marc Kenny, whose powerful, low, curling shot from 20 yards flew past Forde and into the bottom corner of the Home Farm net.

But just when Rovers' latest salvage act appeared complete, Home Farm struck for a brilliant winner eight minutes from the end. Little seemed on when Vaughan controlled a throw in from Owen Heary deep into the Rovers half but the Home Farm striker had other ideas as he shot to the far corner of Horgan's nets for a dramatic winner.