Drogheda’s destiny is going down to the wire

A NAIL-BITING final-night showdown with UCD is in prospect this week after Drogheda United returned home pointless from Limerick on Saturday evening and their promotion play-off rivals both won.

UCD’s victory over Shelbourne the night before kept up the pressure, and the Boynesiders’ loss left Pete Mahon’s men needing Cabinteely to them a favour against Cobh in the late game on Saturday. However, the Munster side were already a goal up before the Drogheda players even boarded the bus home and now the destiny of the play-off places will go down to the wire.

It should never have come to this, of course. Going into their previous game against Cabinteely the Drogs were eight points ahead of UCD and had 11 to spare over Cobh, albeit with a game more played. Even a point at Stradbrook would almost certainly have been enough - it would have meant Drogheda could afford to lose to UCD and still make the play-offs unless Cobh made up a goal difference deficit of eight.

The 1-0 defeat by Cabinteely could yet prove fatal, and going into the final game on the back of two successive defeats for the first time this season is hardly ideal preparation.

Worse still, the Boynesiders will be without their captain, probably their best player this season, after Sean Brennan got himself sent off in the final minutes of the game at Markets Field.

His loss will be keenly felt in the play-off games as well, should Drogheda get that far, but the positives are that Gareth McCaffrey returns from suspension this week and that the team’s destiny is still in its own hands.

The omens weren’t good from the early stages of Saturday’s game, played before a packed Markets Field crowd as Limerick fans looked forward to the presentation of the First Division trophy after the match.

After losing their proud season-long unbeaten record the previous week and labouring to a 1-0 home win against Athlone during the week, the Shannonsiders were intent on putting on a show on their big day, and within 19 minutes they were two goals to the good.

Drogheda’s display was the exact opposite of their hugely impressive showing on their previous visit to Limerick, as they looked jaded from the start.

Within nine minutes they were playing catch-up as former Drog Paul O’Conor popped up to nod home a pinpoint Shane Tracy cross.

The Boynesiders still hadn’t got out of second gear when they conceded again. This time their ever-present centre-half Luke Gallagher, who has had an excellent season, was caught napping for once as Robbie Williams rose above him to head home from an in-swinging free kick.

Chris Mulhall shot just wide after turning sharply as Drogheda continued to look like the team who had nothing to play for, but the visitors were thrown an unexpected lifeline in the 37th minute when Mulhall tangled with Jake Hyland and Stephen McGuinness as the striker burst forward and tried to dribble round the Drogs keeper.

Mulhall went down looking for a penalty. but referee Jim McKell clearly felt there was no contact and booked the Limerick player for the second time in the game before reaching for his red card.

In terms of Drogheda’s attacking threat in the first 45 minutes, there was little of note apart from a half-chance for Kevin Farragher who failed to make the right connection on a cross and saw his effort fly narrowly wide.

At the interval Mahon made a double change, sending on Sean Thornton and Liam Donnelly for Jake Hyland and Adam Wixted, but while Drogheda enjoyed more possession in the second half against their 10-man opponents, they still failed to stretch Freddy Hall in the Limerick goal.

Indeed, with Stephen Dunne replacing Derek Doyle, boss Mahon had emptied his bench before the 70th minute for the second consecutive game.

An mis-directed Marc Griffin cross had to be tipped over the bar by Hall, but it was Thornton who eventually hauled the Boynesiders back into contention when he headed in a cross at the back