Shamrock Rovers came back to claim a share of the spoils after recording a 2-2 draw against Dublin rivals Shelbourne following a wonderful encounter at Tallaght Stadium.
Ciaran Kilduff opened the scoring in the 28th minute, but within seven minutes of the restart Paddy Kavanagh raced to clear to level matters after an excellent pass from David Cassidy.
Shels took the lead in the 77th minute through Philip Gorman, but Ronan Finn was on hand to spare his side’s blushes seven minutes from time.
Despite an early Gorman header that flew well wide, the contest was almost exclusively played in the Shelbourne half with Kilduff enjoying two chances from headers within the opening seven minutes.
Gradually, Shels began to enjoy some brief periods of possession and Glen Cronin was unfortunate to see his well-struck volley from distance narrowly rise over Oscar Jansson’s crossbar in the 20th minute.
However, the high defensive line that they adopted looked progressively threadbare as the hosts look to avail of the generous amount of space behind them with only Gary McCabe’s heavy touch preventing a genuine scoring chance in the 23rd minute.
The pressure was building gradually and eventually that told for the hosts as they broke the deadlock five minutes later, with Tommy Stewart releasing Kilduff down the centre and the former UCD man rounded Bennion with ease before guiding the ball into the empty net.
A second goal almost arrived eight minutes before the break, with Kilduff once again centrally involved as he teed up Stephen Rice for a powerful low shot that Bennion did well to parry away to safety.
Despite resuming in a similar manner of supremacy, the locals were stunned in the 52nd minute as David Cassidy’s sublime through ball got the reward it deserved as Kavanagh showed great composure in slotting home beyond the exposed Jansson from twelve yards.
Gary Twigg’s introduction for the final 15 minutes gave Rovers an added attacking dimension, but their uneasiness in a defensive capacity was punished as the Reds took the lead in the 77th minute.
Craig Sives dithered fatally in allowing Cassidy to block his attempted clearance and the ball fell kindly to Gorman who produced an audacious chip over the stranded Jansson from 14 yards.
There was one final twist to this dramatic encounter as the Hoops, looking short on inspiration, counter-attacked clinically though Finn, with the midfielder’s low shot from 20 yards nestling in Bennion’s right-hand corner.
The contest, which seemed destined for a tension-filled conclusion got the ending it deserved in stoppage-time as Kavanagh raced clear again and despite rounding Jansson, his attempts to claim the three points were interrupted by Sives, who produced a wonderful goal-line clearance to salvage a point for his side.
Shamrock Rovers: Jansson; Sullivan, Sives, Hawkins, Powell; Brennan (Greene, 68), Rice, Finn, McCabe; Stewart (O’Neill, 86), Kilduff (Twigg, 75).
Shelbourne: Bennion; Ryan, Boyle, Paisley, S Byrne; Murphy (C Byrne, 68), Hurley, Cronin, Kavanagh; Cassidy (Clancy, 87) Gorman (Hughes, 80).
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin)
