Drogs at a crossroads as Premier drive ends
A MONUMENTAL effort by the Drogs ultimately produced no reward as their promotion dreams were shattered at a buzzing Finn Park last Friday night.
The Boynesiders will have to spend a second consecutive season in Division 1 for the first time in 17 years and at this moment it’s difficult to summon much enthusiasm for the prospect of more trips to the likes of Athlone Town, Wexford, Cobh Ramblers and Cabinteely.
What now for Drogheda United? Do they soldier on as they are with a low budget and cross their fingers in the hope that, against the odds, they make it back to the Premier Division in the next couple of years? By that time the proposed new stadium might be close to completion, boosting the potential for different revenue streams.
Or do they take a more ambitious approach and actively seek and welcome investment now that will give the team a better chance of earning promotion next season and having the resources to stay in the top flight if they get there?
Surely the last thing Drogheda United FC needs is to become stagnant in Division 1 and for the supporters who have stayed faithful to drift away week by week. Look at Shelbourne and Longford Town, clubs who won numerous trophies in the Noughties but have spent most of this decade in the second tier of the league.
Right now the Drogs look to be heading in that direction, and that’s a shame for the management and players who did their utmost over two legs to overcome a better-resourced Finn Harps side and set up a promotion/relegation play-off decider against Limerick.
Even after they fell two goals behind with just 23 minutes remaining - 3-1 on aggregate - Tim Clancy’s men pushed hard for a goal that would have set up a grandstand finish and in stoppage time the Harps defence were still working overtime to deny the Boynesiders a lifeline.
Ultimately the effort was all in vain, but how differently the match might have panned out if Drogheda had taken a glorious scoring chance less than a minute before Harps netted their first goal.
The game was 17 minutes old when Gareth McCaffrey stole possession from Jacob Berg on the edge of the Harps area and drifted infield, but with only keeper Ciaran Gallagher to beat the former Shamrock Rovers man went for power instead of precision and his fierce drive rose over the junction of post and crossbar.
From the resulting goal kick Harps worked the ball upfield and Mikey Place cut the ball back for right-back John Kavanagh who made a late run into the box and sent a diagonal shot past keeper Paul Skinner.
If anything, Drogheda had edged the opening quarter-hour, with Sean Brennan having a shot charged down and Mark Doyle particularly lively, but their deliveries from crosses and set pieces were poor and the best scoring chance actually fell to Harps as Place took advantage of a William Hondermarck error before firing just wide.
McCaffrey’s miss was then followed by the breakthrough goal for Harps in the 18th minute, but seconds later the Drogs could have restored parity.
Once more McCaffrey was involved as he took a Brennan pass and tried to evade his marker before going down in the box looking for a penalty, only to earn a yellow card for his troubles.
At the other end Boyle robbed Brennan of possession and played a one-two to create a shooting chance, only for Skinner to make a brave save at his feet, and the keeper then had to deflect a vicious Boyle cross round the post.
A superb passing move could easily haved yielded a Drogheda goal on 42 minutes. A slick series of ground passes involving Luke Gallagher, Hondermarck and Brennan created the opportunity for Doyle who pulled a disappointing shot wide despite the late-arriving McCaffrey’s attempts to divert it to the net at the back post.
The first chance of the second half fell to Harps and Drogheda were very lucky it wasn’t converted. A miscued header from Ciaran Kelly spun towards his own six-yard area and Keith Cowen nodded the ball down towards Sam Todd who somehow steered his shot wide from eight yards.
Back came Drogheda and Hondermarck played a one-two with Brennan before releasing McCaffrey whose near-post cross almost picked out Doyle, but keeper Gallagher smothered the ball just in time.
It was end-to-end at this stage and Boyle and Mark Timlin were denied by Skinner in quick succession, either side of a wayward Hondermarck shot, before a dipping effort from Kavanagh nearly crept under Skinner’s crossbar, with the keeper well beaten.
Lee Duffy had come off the bench for Hondermarck at this stage, making a long-awaited comeback from injury, and the pacy winger had an early shot blocked by Todd, before Boyle sent a long-range effort over the Drogheda bar.
McCaffrey then coughed up
possession to Mark Coyle and he picked out Boyle who turned inside and rolled the ball past Skinner for 2-0.
Clancy emptied the bench, introducing Rob Manley and Janabi Amour, and in the latter stages it was all hands on deck for Harps as the Boynesiders pressed on in desperate search of a lifeline.
In a 19-minute spell Brennan had five attempts at the target - three wide and two deflected - while a long-range effort from Duffy was pushed behind by Gallagher.
Skinner went up for a couple of late corner kicks and Duffy had a header cleared off the line in the fifth minute added on, but somehow the ball stayed out and Harps now face Limerick in the play-off decider, while Drogheda can start planning for a second consecutive year in Division 1.