Match Report

Byrne 42, 109                     Cousins 74

League Cup Quarter Final

Carlisle Grounds
5 October 1999

Wanderers send Rovers packing

Two goal FAI Cup hero Jason Byrne repeated that feat on Tuesday evening as Bray Wanderers dumped Shamrock Rovers out of the Eircom League Cup.

In the meeting of leaders of the Premier and First Divisions, Byrne put the Seasiders through to the semi finals of the competition with a header in the second period of extra time at the Carlisle Grounds.

With manager Pat Devlin giving Dan O'Connor his full debut at right back, Colm Tresson partnered Mick Doohan in central defence.

Byrne returned to the starting line up for the first time in four games and Stephen Fox made his first start in nearly two months.

The home side were unlucky not to have taken a tenth minute lead as Robbie Horgan got down well to smother Tarzan O'Brien's deft header on his goal line following a quick corner.

Tarzan shot across the face of goal nine minutes before the interval when clean through but Bray did go in ahead the break as they finally found a way past the `Hoop's efficient offside trap in the 42nd minute.

Debutant Pat Deans headed clear a Maurice Farrell throw but a towering Doohan header on the halfway line saw Byrne turn Terry Palmer with one touch.

The striker showed a clean pair of heels before firing in right foot from 20 yards past Horgan.

That lead could have been doubled in the 63rd minute but Colm Tresson's low left foot effort struck the bottom of a post after a Ciaran Ryan corner was not dealt with.

Ninety seconds later, Woods looked certain to equalise, but a brilliantly timed sliding tackle by Fox inside the penalty area prevented the winger from doing so.

Tresson was again involved in Wanderers best move of the match in the 72nd minute when he played a one-two with Barry O'Connor and then another with Tarzan only to see his shot rebound of the upright.

Virtually against the run of play, Rovers drew level when Tony Cousins flicked a cushioned header beyond John Walsh from Woods' excellent centre just two minutes later.

Bray could still have won the match in normal time as Tarzan set Fox free on the left and he cut inside only to see his shot rebound off the far upright.

With only a minute gone in the first period of extra time, Fox released Byrne who was only denied the fingertip save of Horgan.

With 11 minutes remaining in extra time, Ciaran Ryan floated over a free which Barry O'Connor looped a header back into the danger area and Byrne guided the ball past Horgan from eight yards with a diving header.

It could have been worse for the visitors in the dying stages as Tarzan took too long on the ball with just the keeper to beat and his effort was pushed away.

Right on full time, Byrne missed the opportunity to become the first Bray player to score a hat-trick on home soil as his shot rolled inches wide of the far corner.

From the Bray People, 7 October 1999

Bray Wanderers: John Walsh, Colm Tresson, Maurice Farrell, Dan O'Connor, Mick Doohan, Stephen Fox, Barry O'Connor, Philip Keogh, Tarzan O'Brien, Jason Byrne, Ciaran Ryan.
Subs: Glen Brien (for Farrell 66 mins), Stuart Connolly (for Fox 106 mins), Alan Dodd, Darren Power, Bo McKeever (all not used).
Shamrock Rovers: Robbie Horgan, Matt Britton, Tommy Dunne, Pat Deans, Terry Palmer, Jason Colwell, Paul Crowley, Tony Cousins, Brian Byrne, Billy Woods, Shane Robinson.
Subs: Stuart Holt (for Crowley 64 mins), Colin O'Toole (for Byrne 112 mins), Eoghan O'Meara, Kevin McCormack, Darren Berrigan (all not used).