Afolabi opens Shamrock Rovers account with winner in five-goal thriller against Dundalk

Rovers have stretched their lead at the top of the Premier Division to 10 points

Jonathan Afolabi's 38th minute goal turned out to be the winner for Shamrock Rovers against Dundalk. Pic: ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Shamrock Rovers 3 Dundalk 2 

Jonathan Afolabi scored what proved the winner with his first goal for Shamrock Rovers as the champions stretched their lead at the top of the Premier Division table to 10 points.

In a match in which much of the main action was confined to a madcap opening half, Rovers got the better of Dundalk for the first time in their three meetings this season, the only side they had not previously beaten, in a fractious game that saw referee Rob Harvey brandish 11 yellow cards and one red.

Without their inspirational skipper Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes, as he serves a three-match suspension following his red card in last week’s draw in Drogheda, Rovers made seven changes from Tuesday’s rousing 3-1 Europa League win over Egnatia and had the ideal start of a third minute lead from a penalty.

Michael Noonan looked to have lost the ball from John O’Sullivan pass over the top. But his heavy touch worked in his favour as Dundalk goalkeeper Enda Mingoue raced out succeeding only in tripping the Hoops striker with Harvey pointing to the spot.

Dylan Watts duly sent Minogue the wrong way from 12 yards for his fourth league goal of the season.

Dundalk were close to a response minutes later, Ed McGinty quickly off his line to save at the feet of Cian Dillon from skipper Daryl Horgan's through ball.

But McGinty was then at fault to gift Dundalk an equaliser on 15 minutes, dropping Horgan’s corner, needlessly conceded by Max Kovalevskis, for centre-back Rob Cornwall whose scuffed shot deflected to the net off Lee Grace.

Further poor defending almost cost Rovers another goal three minutes later.

Cory O’Sullivan’s weak back pass put McGinty in bother. The goalkeeper did well to knock the ball off the feet of Ronan Teahan with Dillon lobbing the loose ball over the top.

In a frenetic opening to the game, Rovers then restored their lead on 20 minutes.

Matt Healy found the run of Watts to the end line on the left. The midfielder outfoxed Cornwall his chip to the back post headed home by Noonan for his sixth goal of the season.

The fitful action continued apace with Horgan setting off on a slalom run past two defenders before drilling narrowly wide.

But the veteran Dundalk talisman wasn’t to be denied as he levelled the scores on 27 minutes.

A mistake by Watts put Grace in trouble with the Rovers captain tripping Dillon to concede the second penalty of the night which Horgan blasted to the roof of the net to score for the third successive match.

In an unsavoury incident following his goal celebration in front of the south stand, a Rovers fan encroached onto the pitch to confront the Dundalk players before being promptly ushered away by stewards.

This rollercoaster game then saw Rovers regain the lead for a third time on 38 minutes.

Dundalk wingback Bobby Burns inexplicably gifting the ball from John O’Sullivan's misplaced pass straight to Afolabi whose shot deflected to the net for his first goal for Rovers since joining last month.

It brought an end to a crazy opening half in which both head coaches, Ciaran Kilduff of Dundalk and Rovers' Stephen Bradley, were yellow carded along with Rovers’ assistant coach Glenn Cronin. Sean Kavanagh, another Rovers coach, then received a red card after the half-time whistle.

The end-to-end action continued into the second half, if not quite as frantic.

Minogue denied Rovers’ substitute Maleace Asamoah twice either side of McGinty making the save of the night on 63 minutes, somehow turning ex-Hoop Trevor Clarke’s shot round a post.

The lively Asamoah was then thwarted once again by the busy Minogue having raced through onto Noonan’s flicked header.

Back at the other end, McGinty provided the final cameo right on 90 minutes to turn substitute Leo Gaxha’s shot out for a corner as Rovers were made to work every inch of the way for their victory.

Rovers had to play out the final couple of minutes of added time with 10 men, substitute Cian Barrett having been taken off on a stretcher with a leg injury.

Shamrock Rovers: McGinty; Sobowale, Grace, C. O’Sullivan (Matthews, h-t); Kovalevskis (Asamoah, h-t), Watts (Byrne, h-t), Healy (Barrett, 59), J. O’Sullivan, O’Regan; Afolabi (Greene, 59), Noonan.

Dundalk: Minogue; Animasahun (McDaid, 49), Cornwall, Grivosti; Clarke (Keogh, 85), Buckley, Dervin, Burns; Horgan, Teahan (Groome, 49); Dillon (Gaxha, 62).

Referee: Rob Harvey (Dublin).

Attendance: 5,102.