Loan signings make difference

ON the night when Wales produced a scintillating performance to reach the semi-finals at Euro 2016, Drogheda United were rather less impressive as they laboured to a 2-0 win over Waterford which wasn’t secured until Aaron Ashe’s 88th-minute strike, but a win is a win and it kept the Boynesiders second in the Division 1 table.

They subsequently slipped to joint third when they coughed up a lead and ended up losing 2-1 at Cobh in a proverbial ‘six-pointer’ and optimism hardly improved after Ashe’s second-half goal earned them a scrappy home win against Athlone Town. With perfect timing, though, the Drogs announced the loan signings of Shamrock Rovers duo Gareth McCaffrey and Richie Purdy and both would prove to be astute acquisitions in the run-in to the end of the season.

McCaffrey made an encouraging debut in the 2-0 away win over Shelbourne, with Ashe and Sean Thornton the goalscorers, and that result saw Drogheda return to second spot in the table.

County Louth player Thomas Mulligan won the Under-17 trophy at the Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship, held at Castle Golf Club.

Tomas Cotter of Dunleer AC competed at the European Championships, although he didn’t manage to qualify for the final of the 3,000m steeplechase.

Amy McTeggart won the Under-23 high jump at the National Track & Field and Conor Durnin (St Peter’s AC) earned silver in the Under-23 triple jump. Ruarcan O’Gibne won steeplechase bronze at the Schools International in Kent, while Dunleer AC’s Liam Connaughton captured javelin gold with another new PB of 58.89m. Connaughton and clubmate Karlis Kaugars (U-12 turbo javelin) then won gold at the National Juvenile Championships, with the O’Gibne brothers each taking silver. Drogheda & District clubman Lee McGuinness won the club’s first-ever National U-18 200m medal, finishing third.

Dunleer AC’s Jack McCullough competed in the World Youth Cup in mountain running. Drogheda Triathlon Club’s Angela Kearney and Jack Molloy qualified for the World Triathlon Championships.

Drogheda Wheelers CC promoted cycling’s Brendan Campbell Memorial Races where there was a one-two for local riders in the A2 race as Arek Klus (Stamullen) pipped Wheelers rider Barry Hughes. The Mark Mullen Memorial Handicap League also reached its conclusion, with overall victory going to Stamullen’s Seamus Howard.

Drogheda’s Colin Lowth took victory in the 2.7km Boyne Swim, with another local, Jack McCullough, second in the Junior section.