Shamrock Rovers ... 4 Monaghan United ... 1 The bravery and determination of Billy Woods, who scored twice, put Shamrock Rovers through to the quarter-finals of the Carlsberg FAI Cup in a match that only came alive in the final quarter at Richmond Park.
Manager Damien Richardson was expecting a good show from his side and his 11 players did not let him down with Woods setting a fine example.
His first goal on 67 minutes was of the classic textbook variety. Shane Robinson got to the end line to cross low for his opposite wing Woods to dive low to head home.
That restored Rovers lead and they duly regained the initiative against a Monaghan side that, for much of the game, felt they deserrved something from it.
Trevor Vaughan had two late chances saved by Tony O'Dowd before susbtitute Tony Couins stabbed home a Robinson corner on 88 minutes.
Woods then added his second in stoppage time; racing clear to smash the ball home off the crossbar.
They say goals change matches and the cliché was never more apt in a first half that ebbed and flowed as the sides swapped a goal apiece.
Rovers scarcely appeared in much trouble from the start and put the gloss on their graft with the lead goal on 20 minutes from a flowing move involving five players.
That finished with Tony Grant playing a one-two out wide with Sean Francis to head home the return at the near post.
Having got their noses in front, Rovers threatened to all but end the game but the ball wouldn't go in for them for a second time.
Grant had a volley deflected wide off the head of Francis; Terry Palmer had a goal disallowed for pushing in the box while Pat Scully bounced a header from Robinson's corner onto the crossbar and over.
A Scully handball 25 yards out gifted Monaghan the opportunity to get back into the game which they duly took on 36 minutes.
O'Dowd will not want to see the goal again as the Rovers' goalkeeper was beaten at the butt off his left hand post by Stephen Murphy's precise, rather than pacey, free kick.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: O'Dowd; Costello, Scully, Palmer, Byrne; Robinson, Tracey, Colwell, Woods; Francis (Cousins 81), A Grant.
MONAGHAN UNITED: Downey; J. Murphy, Place, Brunton, O'Callghan; Meier, Shiels, McGrath, Murphy; Vaughan, McKenna.
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
