Win could count at end of the campaign
IT was hardly a landslide victory for Drogheda United on referendum day, but an impressive one nonetheless as they out-thought and out-fought hosts Galway to give their promotion prospects a significant boost.
Having had home advantage in all their previous jousts with the likely title contenders, this was the Boynesiders’ biggest test to date, but they passed it with flying colours to become the first team to win a league match at Eamonn Deacy Park this season.
And with Shelbourne the only other team in the top six to earn maximum points on the night, the Drogs are now a clear second in the table and within touching distance of leaders UCD who have played a game more.
After a nervy start from both teams Galway’s Eoin McCormack ballooned a 30-yard free kick well over the crossbar, while at the other end Chris Lyons collected a Mark Doyle pass and cleverly turned his man to reach the byeline, only to be shepherded out of play by Robbie Williams.
Drogheda had strong claims for an early penalty waved away when Lee Duffy ran onto a Lyons pass, burst into the box and seemed to be pushed over by a defender. The winger was unlucky to get himself booked for going down too easily in a similar situation the previous week, and again he was left frustrated as the referee’s assistant - who was perfectly placed - wasn’t sufficiently convinced to signal for a spot kick.
Another promising position for the Drogs came to nothing when Doyle dispossessed Maurice Nugent and played the ball up to Lyons, but with the Galway defence stretched the striker’s attempted cross towards Duffy was intercepted.
The Boynesiders’ next move started in defence, with Ciaran Kelly, and Conor Kane, Sean Brennan and Jake Hyland all involved before the captain played in Lyons who fired into the side netting.
For all Drogheda’s dominance, the Galway keeper Tadhg Ryan had yet to be tested, but that changed on 18 minutes when Brennan swung in a free kick and the netminder fumbled as Colm Deasy challenged him in the air. The ball ran loose to Hyland whose attempted chip towards the unguarded net was brilliantly headed over his own bar by the retreating Stephen Walsh.
Brennan’s needless foul on McCormack set up an opportunity for Galway from 25 yards out, but their veteran midfielder Alan Murphy fired the free kick over the bar. However, the Drogs remained on top and a series of corners led to a chance for Kevin Farragher whose near-post header was deflected over the bar by Marc Ludden.
Drogheda keeper Paul Skinner was pressed into action on the half-hour when Alex Byrne’s pass released Murphy whose shot from 25 yards bounced awkwardly and the former Celtic youth player got just enough on the ball to turn it onto the post.
The visitors were enjoying some joy on the wings, but neither Doyle or Duffy could get the right ball into the box and it was Galway who finished the first half stronger.
A driven ball across the six-yard area from left-back Ludden had to be scooped over his own crossbar by Kane. Then Murphy’s pass put Danny Furlong through on goal with only Skinner to beat, but the prolific striker took a fraction too long to set himself and Kelly arrived with a brilliant sliding challenge to deny him. And from the resulting corner Nugent popped up in the six-yard area but couldn’t direct his header on target.
After that entertaining first period, the third quarter was a drab affair as Drogheda bossed in the territory and possession stakes, without looking too threatening in front of goal. The one exception was in the 49th minute when Byrne was caught in possession by a combination of Duffy and Luke Gallagher and the ball ran favourably for Doyle who fired high over the bar with only Ryan to beat.
After being treated for a leg problem on two occasions, Ryan eventually had to go off, to be replaced by Connor Gleeson, and the sub keeper was immediately into the action, smothering the ball bravely at the feet of Lyons as he attempted to convert Brennan’s near-post cross.
Moments later Gleeson saved one of his defender’s blushes as Williams uncharacteristically sliced a clearance towards his own goal as he tried to deal with a Duffy centre.
Galway had barely got out of their own half in the second period, but on 67 minutes Byrne swung in an excellent deep cross towards Ryan Connolly whose mis-timed header was easily held by Skinner.
A Drogheda chance went begging on 71 minutes when Brennan did really well to put the advancing Doyle through on goal, only for the winger to fire over when a placed effort would surely have resulted in the deadlock being broken.
Another rare Galway attack came to nothing when Murphy blazed over from Connolly’s cross from the corner flag, but it was Drogheda who struck on 77 minutes after Murphy was penalised for pulling back Brennan as he tried to set up an attack.
Brennan lined up the free from some 35 yards out, to the left of goal. Having scored twice down in Wexford from a similar position, remarkably history repeated itself as he curled a fantastic effort over the wall and just inside Gleeson’s right-hand post.
Galway had no option now but to commit to all-out attack and in fairness they threw the proverbial kitchen sink at Drogheda in the latter stages. Deasy, who had been having an excellent game for the visitors, found 84th-minute Galway sub Carlton Ubaezuonu a real handful and was walking a tightrope, having been booked earlier.
It was all hands on deck for Drogheda and Kelly made another superb challenge to block Walsh’s close-range shot.
All the while the visitors were skillfully running down the clock at every opportunity, although that wasn’t Duffy’s intention when he received possession in promising situations and in the space of five minutes managed to put three balls over the back wall of the large car park behind the goal!
For all Galway’s efforts, they couldn’t create a clear scoring opportunity in those final stages. Walsh hooked the ball well wide from a Williams cross in the fourth minute of stoppage time, but the final whistle sounded soon after and Drogheda were deserved winners.
There’s a long way to go in the battle for league honours, but on this evidence the Boynesiders get a ‘Yes’ vote to reach the end-ofseason play-offs at the very least.
On this evidence the Boynesiders get a ‘Yes’ vote to reach the play-offs at the very least.