City dominate in draw with Duff's Drumcondra dubs

📷 KBD Photos

After four losses on the bounce, City were looking to get back to winning ways as they hosted Shelbourne at the Cross. Ger Nash was taking charge at the Cross for the first time since being announced as City manager, and it was also the first game since the announcement of David Meyler as the new assistant manager, who’ll assume his role after the mid season break.

Nash made just one change from the side he selected in his first game in charge, with Seani Maguire getting the nod to start, replacing Rio Shipston who dropped to the bench. City did have a boost, as they welcomed Malik Dijksteel back into the matchday squad.

Meanwhile Damien Duff named an unchanged side to the team that narrowly beat Sligo Rovers 3-2 last time out, but they were bolstered by the return of Paddy Barrett, who started on the bench.

City came flying into the game and started brilliantly, and were denied a penalty thirteen minutes in when Djenairo Daniels played Seani Maguire down the left channel, and Maguire was bundled over by Ellis Chapman who brought him down from behind.

City had Shelbourne on the ropes, and came agonisingly close to getting that much desired opener after twenty seven minutes. Josh Fitzpatrick battled down the left hand side before cutting in and laying it off to Evan McLaughlin thirty yards out. Evan hit it first time and his shot rattled the bar and went out for a goal kick.

City kept the pressure on and were denied yet again seven minutes later. A wide free kick was dinked low towards the front post where Charlie Lyons ran onto it and guided his header goalward, but Lorcan Healy reacted quickly to keep it out.

Despite City’s total dominance of the first period, Shels had a chance of their own in the final minute of normal time of the half. A John Martin cross wriggled through the City defence and fell to John O’Sullivan who struck it first time, but his effort was brilliantly cleared off the line by Charlie Lyons to keep the game scoreless.

That would bring to an end what was a breathtaking first half from City, but ultimately they had no goal to show for it as despite the very poor performance from Shels, the game was goalless at half time.

After the hairdryer treatment from Damien Duff and three substitutions, Shelbourne came out at half time looking to better weather the City's storm in the second half. Despite that, it was the home side who broke the deadlock after an hour. Milan Mbeng broke away down the right wing and produced a sublime cross into the box, where it was met by the head of the oncoming Seani Maguire at the back post who powered a header into the back of the net to give City the lead.

Shels’ backs were against the wall, and they started putting City under pressure and came close to levelling the game five minutes later. Kameron Ledwidge delivered a ball onto the head of Mipo Odubeko in the box, but Odubeko’s header looped narrowly over the bar as the game stayed level.

It wouldn't stay level for long though, as Shels’ pressure paid off with twenty minutes to play. Mark Coyle fed the ball into Ali Coote at the edge of the box. Coote wriggled his way around the City midfield and angled a shot from the edge of the box which he fired off the left hand post and into the back of the net to bring his side level in Turner’s Cross.

After the equaliser, City began to regain control in the game and looked the more likely team to find a winner, and almost did in the dying embers of normal time. Greg Bolger cut the ball back to Rio Shipston just inside the Shels box, who shifted past a defender and aimed a shot low towards the far corner, but Lorcan Healy got down low and pushed the shot away.

That signalled an end to the game as despite being the better side for most of the game, City would have to settle for a point coming away from the Cross. It was an encouraging performance from City where the tactical vision of Ger Nash was on display and there were some visible improvements from games of recent. The discouraging form of conceding crushing late goals was prevented, although it is still two more points dropped from a winning position. That being said, it's a performance that will be a positive for Ger Nash and David Meyler as they look to return to winning ways when they return from the mid season break.

As for Shelbourne, it was a fairly poor performance for most of the game from the Drumcondra outfit. They were appalling in the first half will be delighted with the fact they didn't concede in the first half, when they really deserved to have done so. They improved for a spell during the second half from half time up until their goal but dropped off a bit again once they got their equaliser. It's a game that sums up their first half of the season and Damien Duff will look to have a much improved second half of the campaign.

My Man of the Match goes to Evan McLaughlin. From a largely impressive City performance, it was Evan McLaughlin who stood out in midfield for the home side. McLaughlin swept up a lot of messy balls in the middle of the park and did brilliantly at progressing the ball forward through the game. It was his best performance of the season, and he was integral in City’s good performance on the night.

Both teams now head into the mid season break, and when they return City will face off against Bohs at the Cross on June 13th, meanwhile Shels will host Pats at Toka Park on the same day.