Shelbourne and Galway United booked places in the quarter-finals of the League Cup with a frustrating scoreless draw with UCD and a 3-2 win over Athlone Town respectively. Shelbourne, playing their third game in four days, might well have found themselves a couple of goals behind within 20 minutes as UCD wasted two glorious chances.
Clive Delaney headed over from an Eamonn McLoughlin corner in the fourth minute, and Mick O'Byrne should really have given the students the lead two minutes later. Played in by Robert McAuley's perfect through ball, O'Byrne blazed over the crossbar. On 18 minutes, another sweeping move by UCD caught out the Shelbourne defence. Aidan Lynch got McAuley in behind up the left and Ken Kilmurray looped a header onto the bar from the cross.
Shelbourne totally controlled the game in the second half as UCD lost their composure. Ciaran Kavanagh had to clear off the UCD line from a Tony McCarthy header while Tony Sheridan, having played a clever one-two with Mark Rutherford, shot wide.
A profitable first-half display by Galway United, who beat Athlone Town 3-2 at Terryland Park, booked their passage through to the last eight from Group C. Brian Frawley gave Athlone a fifth-minute lead, but Fran Carter levelled the scores following Eric Levine's corner on 18 minutes.
Two goals within as many minutes immediately before half-time then won the game for Galway. Gareth Gorman played a one-two with Adrian Cregg to make it 2-1 with Levine shooting home Aidan Forde's pass for the third.
Paul McGee, who scored twice on Tuesday night, got Athlone's second goal in the 50th minute.
St. Patick's Athletic have to wait to see if they've qualified as one of the two best runners-up after a 2-0 defeat of Home Farm/Everton at Richamond Park leaves them second to Shelbourne on six points.
Eddie Gormley gave St Patrick's the lead from a 30-yard free kick right on half-time. Trevor Molloy scored a superb second goal a minute into the second half when collecting Trevor Croly's throw and shooting on the turn.
In a match with nothing at stake at the regional Sports Centre, Waterford United beat Cobh Ramblers, who had Anthony Kenneally sent-off after 40 minutes, 3-0, with goals from Paul Scully, Robert Griffin and Mark Reid.
