Cool heads prevail in penalty shootout drama

MARK Doyle stepped up to score the decisive penalty as Drogheda United overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit to squeeze past Shelbourne on spot kicks in Tolka Park last week.

In a remarkable match Shels had two players dismissed in the first half, Reece McEnteer in the 10th minute for two bookings and then James English on 37 for a wreckless tackle that broke Drogs skipper Jake Hyland’s leg.

Given the home side’s final tally of two red and six yellow cards, it was miraculous that Drogheda managed to keep their discipline, and that cool-headedness proved crucial to the eventual outcome, even if they made extremely hard work of getting over the line.

Just before English’s dismissal Sean Brennan had levelled the tie on aggregate with a superb right-footed shot into the top corner after great build-up play from Chris Lyons.

If Shels still fancied their chances of hanging on through extra time for an aggregate draw and a shootout decider, their hopes looked to have been shattered on 62 minutes when Lyons ran onto a pinpoint Brennan pass and showed great skill to round keeper Dean Delany and slot home past two defenders on the goal-line.

Drogheda now led 2-0 on the night, 2-1 on aggregate, and they were poised to claim an aggregate victory and book their place in the play-off semi-final against Finn Harps.

However, on 77 minutes they lost possession cheaply and Karl Moore sprinted down the right flank before crossing for

Shelbourne Drogheda Utd 1 2

but headed wide from another Moore centre, and so the playoff would be decided on penalty kicks.

Shelbourne had converted six out of six when defeating St Patrick’s Athletic in the Leinster Senior Cup Final just 10 days earlier at the same venue, but there was arguably more at stake here.

With Drogheda going first in the shootout, the opening three spot kicks were all coverted by Chris Lyons, David O’Sullivan and Sean Brennan, before Adam Evans had his kick stopped by United keeper Paul Skinner.

When Luke Gallagher scored and Skinner then saved superbly from Lorcan Fitzgerald in the next series of kicks Drogheda were 3-1 up, but Gareth McCaffrey missed the chance to clinch victory for the Boynesiders when his kick was saved.

Shane Farrell then converted for Shelbourne, but when Doyle coolly rolled in Drogheda’s final kick they were through, sparking joyous scenes among the players and away supporters.

SHELBOURNE: Delany; Wilson, Prendergast (O’Sullivan 120), McEnteer, Fitzgerald; Hughes, Byrne, Moore, Kavanagh (Farrell 101); Moorhouse (Evans 69), English. Subs not used: Brown, Boyne, Rooney, Steacy.

BOOKED: McEnteer (7, 10), Delany (82), Moore (89), Prendergast (93), Fitzgerald (114)

SENT OFF: McEnteer (10), English (37)

DROGHEDA UNITED: Skinner; Deasy (McCaffrey 46), Kane, Gallagher, Farragher, Kelly; Brennan, Hyland (Hondermarck 39), Purdy (Amour 103), Doyle; Lyons. Subs not used: Dillon, Buckley, Manley, Gratzer.

BOOKED: Deasy (15), Kelly (48), Amour (105)

REFEREE: Tomas Connolly (Dublin)

ATTENDANCE: 1,281