Shamrock Rovers lifted the 2011 Setanta Sports Cup on Saturday evening after defeating Dundalk 2-0 at Tallaght Stadium.
Both sides had chances in the first half, but it took until the second for Gary O’Neill to separate the sides. Billy Dennehy then sealed victory in stoppage-time as the League of Ireland leaders earned another piece of silverware for their trophy cabinet.
Dennehy could not profit from a very early half-chance for Rovers, while Ross Gaynor began in a lively vein for Dundalk but saw a couple of efforts blocked.
Alan Mannus saved well from early sub Dean Bennett as the reigning League of Ireland champions came under a bit of pressure, pressure that also saw Mark Quigley have a pop with a free-kick from 30 yards. However, Mannus was again up to it as he made a super save at his top corner.
Dennehy then saw Peter Cherrie touch his free-kick onto a post, while a Dundalk break really should have exposed Rovers when Daniel Kearns eased his way past Dan Murray. He had Jason Byrne in a great position to pass to, but went for goal himself and drew some harsh words from his team-mate as the chance sailed wide.
Rovers looked much fresher in the second half as man-of-the-match Ronan Finn began to take the game by the scruff of the neck, drawing a save from Cherrie some six minutes into the half.
The Irish champions then introduced last year’s talisman Gary Twigg, who has just come back from injury, and within a minute his side were in front.
Finn raced past Michael Hector on the Rovers left and squared for O’Neill, who lifted a shot high above Cherrie and into the roof of the net.
Twigg lacked a little sharpness, something that was clear to see when he failed to tap in Conor McCormack’s ball across the face of goal, while a Dennehy cross was then deflected against the bar off Simon Madden as Rovers got closer and closer to a second.
The woodwork saved Dundalk again when Twigg went clean through but rolled the ball against the post, while Dennehy sent another effort wide as the second goal continued to elude Michael O’Neill’s men.
But it finally came in added time as Dennehy let fly with an effort that Cherrie got a touch to, but not one that was enough to stop it from bouncing over the line.