SHAMROCK ROVERS 2 (Twigg 18, 20) UCD 1 (McMillan 22)
The departing Gary Twigg’s first-half brace was sufficient for Shamrock Rovers to gain an unconvincing 2-1 over UCD in their Airtricity League Premier Division encounter at Tallaght Stadium last night.
The previously dull fare of the opening fifteen minutes was soon forgotten three minutes later as Rovers opened the scoring through a wonderful finish from Twigg as he raced beyond Hugh Douglas onto Billy Dennehy’s pass to round Ger Barron and slide an exemplary finish home from an acute angle.
That lead and his own personal tally was doubled in the 20th minute with Stephen Rice the provider on this occasion, with Twigg was on hand to once again display his predatory instincts with an assured finish from eight yards.
With the hosts’ concentration lost for a brief moment, the visitors struck back in wonderful fashion within two minutes as David McMillan cushioned a Gary Burke pass before unleashing a dipping volley that left Oscar Jansson grasping at thin air.
With Twigg having been replaced by Gary O’Neill in the 75th minute, UCD continued to dominate the half and McMillan was denied a deserved equaliser in the 85th minute when his adventurous chipped attempt was scrambled to safety by the back-pedalling Jansson.
UCD host Shelbourke in their last league game of the season, it's at the UCD Bowl on Friday with a 7.45pm kick off.
Shamrock Rovers: Jansson; Sullivan, Oman, Gartland, Powell; Dennehy, McCormack, Rice, McCabe, Greene; Twigg (O’Neill, 75).
UCD: Barron; Douglas (Langtry, 46), Kavanagh, Leahy, Nangle; Mulhall (McCabe, 67), Burke, Benson, O’Connor, Belhout (Lyons, 60); McMillan.
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin)
