Drogs sign off with a gutsy draw in Limerick
IN the end the reward was ‘only’ a point, but that shouldn’t take away from a magnificent Drogheda performance in sweltering heat at Markets Field on Saturday evening.
Pete Mahon must have feared the worst as his part-time team lined up to face the champions elect in their own back yard, six days after the Drogs had been held to a scoreless draw by bottom club Cabinteely. After all, Limerick had won all six of their previous home league games by at least a three-goal margin and still boasted a 100% record overall.
However, the Shannonsiders finally came unstuck in their 13th game and were a touch fortunate to avoid defeat against a Drogheda side who stepped up to the plate big-time after being heavily criticised by their manager the week before.
The temperature at the 6.30 kick-off time was 26 degrees, and with the sun baking down on the entire pitch the respective ‘warmup’ routines were understandably paired back.
Drogheda lined out with four changes, one enforced as their star man Aaron Molloy was ruled out through injury. In came the experienced quartet of Sean Thornton, Sean Brennan, Marc Griffin and Derek Doyle.
Experience is one thing, but would the trio of 30-plus lads last the pace in the intense heat?
Well, as it turned out there was no question of playing a defensive game - quite the reverse as Drogheda went at their hosts with a purpose that must have surprised Limerick and their manager Martin Russell.
Aaron Ashe’s quickly taken throw to Sam O’Connor led to a chance for Griffin in only the second minute and the former Dundalk star hammered a shot into the ground and towards goal before Limerick managed to clear their lines.
Then Griffin skipped away from a challenge and broke towards the penalty area before having a shot parried by Tommy Holland. Ashe latched onto the rebound and fired goal-wards from an acute angle, only for Holland to deflect the ball wide with his legs.
Griffin’s corner kick was nodded down by Luke Gallagher towards Niall Cooney who swivelled and hooked a superb shot towards the top corner, but Holland reacted brilliantly to make a spectacular tip-over save.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic - Chris Mulhall and Sean Russell both fired over the bar and former Drogs midfielder Lee Lynch had a snap shot well held by Stephen McGuinness - but after that 10th-minute chance for Russell the home side didn’t get another clear sight of goal until the stroke of half-time.
In the meantime Drogheda took the game to Limerick and would not have been flattered by a 2-0 lead. They passed the ball with conviction and accuracy and continued to punch holes in the home defence.
Thornton had a long-range effort deflected wide and Griffin saw a dipping volley graze the crossbar after good approach play by Gallagher, O’Connor and Brennan.
And when Gallagher glanced a header wide from a Griffin corner in the 21st minute Drogheda had already had seven attempts on the Limerick goal.
The home side’s left-back Shane Tracy had to make a vital headed clearance when Ashe threatened at the back post from a deep Doyle cross, but Thornton skied the ball over the bar after being teed up by Brennan in the 35th minute.
Sam O’Connor momentarily got in behind his namesake Paudie following Brennan’s well-judged pass, but another fleet-footed defender got back to clear as the hard-working Drogheda number 9 threatened to line up a shot.
Right on the stroke of half-time the visitors could have suffered a sucker punch when McGuinness could only parry a Stephen Kenny cross into the path of another former United Park favourite, Paul O’Conor. But the midfielder’s first touch was poor and he subsequently ballooned the ball over the bar from eight yards out.
The Drogs players trudged off the field slowly at the break and there had to be a question mark over whether they could last the pace for 90 minutes.
When play resumed the early signs were encouraging as Ashe, O’Connor and Brennan combined to set up Griffin who sent a shot rising narrowly over the bar from 20 yards inside the first few seconds.
Griffin then performed his defensive duties admirably when tracking back to make a vital tackle on Lynch in the centre circle as Limerick threatened to counter-attack.
The league leaders had their best effort to date in the 52nd minute when O’Conor cleverly played the ball into space for Kenny whose cross was headed just over the bar by Mulhall.
McGuinness then made a good
reaction save with his feet as John O’Flynn flicked the ball goal-wards from another Kenny delivery, Robbie Williams headed over from a corner and O’Conor was also off target as Limerick started to crank up the pressure.
Brennan responded with a shot from distance that was held by Holland, but the momentum was with Limerick and they made it count on the hour mark.
Doyle was badly caught in possession initially by Shaun Kelly who advanced and saw a curling shot pushed round the post by McGuinness. Then, from the resulting corner, Kenny’s kick was bundled over the line from close range, with Paudie O’Connor credited with the goal - although there were suggestions that Drogheda’s Doyle got the final touch.
Moments later Brennan limped off the field and the Boynesiders now had a mountain to climb, but their heads weren’t about to drop and barely a minute later Ashe fired high over the bar after another enterprising Griffin break.
At the other end, McGuinness did well to cling onto a Kenny shot and there were three bookings in a seven-minute spell as the intensity moved up another notch.
The equaliser arrived on 75 minutes when Ashe was fouled out on the right and Lloyd Buckley delivered the free kick towards the six-yard area. O’Connor, with his back to goal, headed towards the top corner and when the ball dropped just under the crossbar Holland got into a flap and could only fumble it over his own line - 1-1.
Seconds later Limerick almost restored their lead as Lynch crossed to Mulhall who stooped to head narrowly wide, and McGuinness then showed fine reactions to block a close-range O’Flynn flick.
It was breathtaking stuff as both teams went for the win, and Ashe hooked an ambitious effort over the bar from Stephen Dunne’s deep cross, when substitute Eoin Kirwan was much better placed in front of goal.
However, it seemed that a famous result might be on the cards when Drogheda got their noses in front on 89 minutes. Another long delivery from the left, this time by Doyle, picked out Ashe and the winger steadied himself before rifling a low shot across Holland and in off the post.
Limerick supporters responded by launching a vicious verbal volley at Martin Russell who had failed to make any substitutions and now opted to do so in the 90th minute.
But there was to be one more twist as the hosts forced a 92nd-minute corner from which the incoming player, Ross Mann, deflected Kenny’s kick beyond the reach of McGuinness for 2-2.
Thornton showed admirable fitness to burst upfield and attempt a last-gasp effort that dropped over the bar and the captain - indeed the whole Drogheda team - looked forlorn at the final whistle as they rued that late concession.
Time is a great healer, though, and hopefully come October this will turn out to have been a valuable point gained rather than two lost.