Fight for places begins in earnest
Drogheda Utd Derry City 0 1
DROGHEDA United’s six new signings and two of their Under-19s saw action as the Boynesiders kicked off pre-season with a narrow defeat at a freezing United Park last Friday.
A sixth-minute goal from Derry City captain Ciaron Harkin proved decisive, although Drogs boss Tim Clancy will hardly be too concerned about the result in their first outing of 2020, with the new league campaign due to begin in a month’s time.
One would imagine that, barring injuries, Luca Gratzer, Chris Lyons, Mark Doyle, Adam Wixted, Conor Kane and captain Jake Hyland - all members of last year’s squad - are fairly certain to start against Cobh Ramblers on February 22nd.
Beyond that, though, Clancy will hardly have nailed down any members of his starting XI for the trip to St Colman’s Park, as there was very little to choose between the two teams he put out - one in each half - against the Candystripes.
New signings Hugh Douglas, Jack Tuite, Richie O’Farrell, Derek
Prendergast, Brandon Bermingham and Ross Treacy all acquitted themselves reasonably well, while Under-19 duo Kevin Mohammed and Frank Cabraley also put in a good shift after being rewarded with 45 minutes apiece.
It would be wrong to judge anyone on the basis of one half of pre-season football, though, and all members of the first-team squad will have further chances to impress in the other upcoming friendlies.
Derry City, who named three trialists in their squad, scored from their first real attack as the pacy Jamie McDonagh beat Ryan O’Shea for pace down the right side before sending a low cross into the box.
Somehow it evaded the first defender and the late-arriving Harkin fired goalwards from about 10 yards. Debutant Treacy seemed to have the shot covered, but after getting both hands on the slippery ball it squirmed out of his grasp and trundled over the line.
Drogheda had a chance to deliver an instant riposte when Doyle latched onto a long ball from Luke Heeney, but a deflection took the sting out of his shot and Nathan Gartside saved comfortably.
However, Derry went on to boss proceedings for most of the half and volleys from Conor Clifford and McDonagh flew over the bar, while Treacy saved another effort effort from McDonagh.
All the while there was plenty of energy from the big, strapping midfielder O’Farrell, but Drogheda couldn’t get the right balls up to Jordan Adeyemo, who cut a frustrated figure at the lack of service.
The centre-back partnership of Douglas and Tuite, which was steady but unspectacular, made way for Prendergast and Mohammed at the break, while familiar faces such as Gratzer, James Brown, Kane, Sean Brennan, Lyons, James Clarke and Mark
Hughes also came on.
Local lad Bermingham replaced Wixted on the right flank and made one excellent run which sadly came to nothing, while the youngster also took over free kick responsibilities from Brennan on one occasion.
Drogheda put together their best move of the match on 49 minutes when Clarke and Lyons combined with Kane who advanced down the left flank and cut the ball back into the path of Clarke whose shot was held by Gartside.
Prendergast then cleared from close to his own line, making up for an error moments earlier, before Harkin had a well-struck swerving shot superbly tipped over the bar by Gratzer.
Moments later the former Shamrock Rovers stopped was called upon again, diverting a Mallon free kick away to safety.
A foul on Lyons inches outside the box gave Drogheda a rare scoring chance in the 72nd minute, only for Brennan to curl the free kick a yard over the bar.
Ten minutes later Clarke, who single-handedly won about half a dozen frees for his team during his spell on the field, teed up Lyons whose shot was pushed away for a corner by Gartside.
However, neither keeper was troubled after that and thankfully the referee blew for full-time right on the 90-minute mark, sending supporters scurrying back to their cars for some respite from the biting cold.
Overall, it was a typical pre-season game. Plenty of endeavour and plenty of rustiness also, but positives for Drogheda were that they were well organised - especially considering all the substitutions - and also looked fit for this stage of the year.
Perhaps no one epitomised that last point more than Bellewstown native Luke Heeney, who was the only Drogheda player asked to play the whole 90 minutes. He was still chasing 50/50 balls right to the end and Clancy is undoubtedly an admirer of that kind of competitiveness and energy.
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