Confident Doyle feels United are in the driving seat

DEREK Doyle remains confident that Drogheda United will claim one of the First Division promotion play-off spots despite their embarrassing defeat at Cabinteely on Friday last.

Doyle, who has had to make do with fleeting substitute appearances in recent weeks, was a surprise starter at centre-back because of injuries to both Kevin Farragher and Lloyd Buckley, but it wasn’t the night the 30-year-old would have wanted or expected as the Drogs suffered their first defeat in 10 matches.

A place in the play-offs would still have been secured if Cobh Ramblers had failed to beat Waterford the following night, but the Rams picked up all three points and Drogheda will have to sweat for at least a few more days.

Nevertheless, Doyle feels that it’s better to have the points in the bag at this stage and the Boynesiders are still in pole position going into their final two games of the season, starting with a trip to Limerick on Saturday week.

‘I wasn’t really paying any attention to what happened in the Waterford game,’ admitted Doyle, speaking on Sunday afternoon.

‘We need one more point and I’m sure we are capable of getting it from the next two games. We have matched Limerick in the three games we’ve played against them and possibly should have beaten them twice. We conceded two late goals against them and I thought we were the better team in two of the games.’

While pointing to the pitch conditions as a factor, Doyle couldn’t fully explain why Drogheda performed so poorly in the aftermath of Cabinteely’s goal at Stradbrook on Friday night, and he didn’t feel the absence of Farragher and Sean Brennan from the starting line-up was a factor.

‘It’s a bit of a bogey place to go and we struggled to break them down at times,’ he began.

‘The conditions didn’t help, with the grass being so long. Our game is to try to play football and moves were breaking down.

‘When they scored it sucked the life out of us, when you have to keep trying, and although we made changes in the second half, things just didn’t work out for us.

‘We should have beaten them and I’m not sure if Gareth McCaffrey and Sean Brennan would have made a difference. We have a big squad and I’m sure we have players who have fit in when they are out.’

Doyle will now wait to see whether he’s forced his way into manager Pete Mahon’s plans with his performance against Cabinteely, although much will depend on the fitness of Farragher and Buckley.

Ultimately, the goal is promotion and Doyle knows from experience that the Premier Division is the place to be.

‘I’ve spent most of my career in the Premier and it’s much different,’ he said.

‘The First Division is more of a scrap, but the Premier is a faster-paced game and more football-oriented, which would probably suit us better.

‘I would have enjoyed Drogheda more if I’d played more, but I’m happy enough with the team and the club. Pete [Mahon] asked me the other day, would I play at centre-half, and I was happy enough with that - I don’t mind where I play.’