Town face six-pointer after loss
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DROGHEDA Town’s two-match winning run was brought to an end on Friday night as Manortown United finished strongest to edge a tight contest on Crumlin United’s Astro pitch.
A win for Robbie Horgan’s charges would have moved them to within a single point of their opponents and dragged them into the relegation battle, but seven points how separate the sides and despite improved form Town have a lot to do to secure their Major Division status for next season.
Playing against a stiff wind in the first half, Horgan’s team could hardly have enjoyed a better start as Emmanuel Santos’ persistence saw Manortown lose possession in their back four and Krzysztof Witowski rounded the exposed keeper to score.
Controversy then erupted when Town had what they felt was a good goal chalked off. Manortown initially claimed for offside when Santos and Keith Boyle burst forward - from inside their own half in Town’s view - and the referee allowed play to continue.
The visitors had a two-on-one situation and Santos advanced on goal and released Boyle who had an easy tap-in for 2-0. However, at this point the referee gave a bizarre offside decision, with Town adamant that Santos had passed the ball backwards and Boyle therefore couldn’t be offside.
This was a turning point in the game and on the half-hour Manortown levelled when their centre-half burst forward down the centre of the field, playing a couple of one-twos before finishing past the Town keeper.
It was certainly a well-taken goal from Manortown’s point of view, but Town will feel that the scorer should have been stopped in his tracks long before he got within range of the target.
In the second half, like Manortown in the first, Drogheda struggled to keep the ball under control with the wind at their backs and it was the home side who popped up with what turned out to be the winner.
One of their substitutes showed a clean pair of heels to the visitors’ defence and produced a finish to match, and despite Town’s best efforts to force an equaliser they ended up coming home empty-handed.
Horgan’s team face another crucial game at the foot of the table this Friday night when they travel to fellow strugglers Wicklow Rovers, who they beat a couple of weeks ago.
A defeat could send Town back into the bottom two, while a win would see them move five points clear of safety, albeit with more games played than the other teams in the lower reaches of the table.
Ronan Brown, Leon Hughes, Ciaran Cluskey Kelly, Andy Hickey, Eoghan Breathnach, Krzysztof Witowski, Neil Donnelly, Dean Haggins, Daniel Kerr, Emmanuel Santos, Keith Boyle. Subs: Dean Smith, Kwabana Boateng, Paul Emmett, Nathan Noone Garland.