Gallagher relishing the relegation Drog-fight
WITHOUT a win since April, Drogheda’s recent run of fixtures has done little to help alleviate fears at United Park that relegation is starting to seem more inevitable than just possible.
The last seven games has seen Drogheda face all of the top seven teams in the division and take just three points in the process, scoring once.
Now with all four of the club’s direct relegation rivals to come in July, centre-back Luke Gallagher is remaining positive the current plight can be turned around. Finn Harps are the visitors on Friday.
“We’re in a tough spot and things aren’t going our way, like Friday night and the offside. It could have went our way but when you’re down at t the bottom, thingsings like that happen.en We just have to stick together and work through it and go onto the next game.
Drogheda have a decent record against sides around them this year with wins against Galway, St Pats and Harps added to by a draw against Sligo. Goals are an issue but Gallagher feels that fortune will start to favour the team soon.
“As players, we’re confident in each other and we trust each other to take chances when they come along,” he said.
“Whether it’s Finn Harps or Cork, when we get chances we expect to take them. At the minute, they’re not going in but that can only happen for so long. They will start going in.
“We’re conceding a lot lately so it’s a bit both ways. We’re trying to rectify the defence and the attack so we’re working on all aspects of the game and we’re trying to do our best for it.”
No outfield player has featured more this term than Gallagher but Drogheda’s defence is struggling. They have shipped 40 goals in 20 league games. With goals hard to come by, the onus on the rearguard shutting out the opposition is even greater.
Three straight clean sheets seemed to show a new found resolve but that has quickly evaporated.
“We kept three clean sheets and then came back after the break to play Dundalk.
“There was nothing in the game for 30 minutes until the red card.
“That seemed to be a big turning point. That done us. Then we went to Rovers and got to half time everything was grand, we were playing great. TheThen we conceded cededconceded aan early goal in the secsecond half.
“We’re jujust conceding inconceding sloppy ggoals wwhich aare taking awaway from ouour performances,” manperformances,” the 22-yeayear-old added. “TThe sloppy goals are makmaking our heads drop slightly and we take our eyes off the ball. We know that we’re better than the results we’re getting. Something’s going to change.
“We gave Limerick more than a match, especially in the second half.
“If we had have got that clear chance, I think we would have gone on to win the game. The sloppy goal for the second killed us off. We’re letting in a bad goal from nothing when we’re on top in the game.
Friday will mark three months to the day since Drogheda last enjoyed a win on home soil.
The victory against Shamrock Rovers showed what the team are capable of but it’s finding that formula more often that is proving an issue. Gallagher admits a bad run can begin to drain the players.
“After so many losses, it has its toll,” he said. “But you have to look forward to the next one to end this run. Coming into this game people are on our backs but I’m looking forward to it.”