Stradbrook woes leave Drogs with work to do

VIRTUAL shoe-ins for the promotion play-offs just a few days ago, Drogheda United suddenly find themselves in real danger of being edged out after this shock defeat by Cabinteely last Friday.

Despite labouring to victory over Eddie Gormley’s charges the last time they met and being held scoreless on their previous visit to Stradbrook, the Boynesiders were strongly fancied to copper-fasten a top-three finish against the bottom club.

Even a point would almost certainly have been enough, given Drogheda’s vastly better goal difference compared to fourthplaced Cobh Ramblers, but this result will give both UCD and Cobh renewed hope.

A cursory glance at the league table shows the Drogs seemingly comfortably ahead by seven and eight points respectively, but both chasers play their game in hand this coming Friday when Pete Mahon’s men are idle.

And with a trip to Limerick to follow for the Drogs, followed by the end-of-season visit of UCD, there is every possibility that they will be unable to add to their tally of 49 points. Drogheda can only hope that their tendency to struggle against the lesser sides and produce their best form against the top teams continues, but even then they have taken just four points out of 18 against Limerick and UCD to date.

And if results don’t go their way over the next three weeks and Drogheda miss out on the play-offs, then they will look at their two visits to Stradbrook with enormous regret.

Back in May the Boynesiders produced their worst performance of the season and were lucky to come away with a scoreless draw, and although the display on Friday didn’t quite plumb those depths the outcome was even worse.

Missing Kevin Farragher and Lloyd Buckley through injury and Gareth McCaffrey (suspended) and with Sean Brennan not starting as he recovers from hamstring trouble, Drogheda were weakened but still should have had enough class to overcome Cabinteely.

Events in the first 25 minutes didn’t alter that view as the away side piled forward and peppered Michael Kelly’s goal with shots.

After only two minutes Drogheda should have been ahead when Sean Thornton whipped in a brilliant free kick from the left, but neither Luke Gallagher or Jake Hyland could get a decisive touch in the six-yard area.

Hyland then shot straight at Kelly before Richie Purdy raced onto a Marc Griffin flick and powered forward before dragging a poor shot well wide of the target.

Drogheda’s best effort of the game came in the 13th minute and the attack started with keeper Stephen McGuinness as he did a bit of sweeping 30 yards from his goal and embarked on some skilful footwork to avoid being dispossessed.

His clearance released Aaron Ashe and he made ground up the left flank before squaring for Griffin whose curling left-foot grazed the post.

Ashe then had a shot deflected through to Kelly, before Adam Wixted fluffed another great chance when scuffing his shot tamely into the ground from another pinpoint Thornton delivery.

Then it was Thornton’s turn to be denied by a defender as he had a shot blocked, and from the resulting corner Derek Doyle - playing in an unfamiliar centre-back position, nodded Wixted’s centre wide of the target.

Cabinteely had been pinned in their own half for virtually the entire first quarter, but they gave Drogheda a warning of their potential on 23 minutes when Ben Hanrahan released Ajibola Sule who muscled his way past Stephen Dunne and crossed dangerously into the six-yard area. With Evan Galvin and Joseph Doyle lurking at the back post, Colm Deasy made a crucial intervention, although in diverting the ball behind for a corner he almost knocked it into his own net.

Cabo skipper Edward McDonagh, with his head bandaged following an earlier incident, nodded the resulting corner over the bar, but Drogheda then passed up yet another chance. Thornton and Wixted were the architects of the move and Dunne provided the cross for Griffin to head wide.

Drogheda’s wastefulness in front of goal came back to haunt them in the 29th minute when Cabo took a shock lead. Former amateur international Sule once again showed Dunne a clean pair of heels and his driven cross was steered home from close range by 18-year-old Hanrahan - the first goal conceded by Drogheda in