Second string Drogs show they possess ruthless trait
LEINSTER SNR CUP Q-F DROGHEDA UNITED 4 ATHLONE TOWN 0
DROGHEDA United boss Kevin Doherty had called for a higher percentage of chances to be converted into goals and his squad did just that when easing past First Division side Athlone Town in their Leinster Senior Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night of last week.
Conor Kane was the only survivor from the starting XI that faced Sligo Rovers 72 hours earlier as Doherty fielded what was effectively a second-string side, and yet six of the Boynesiders’ seven shots over the 90 minutes were on target and four landed in the Athlone net.
There were starts for Ryan Brennan, Adam Foley, Aaron McNally, Emre Topcu, Killian Cailloce and goalkeeper Jethren Barr (pictured below) – making his debut – while David Webster and Evan Haddock lined out as the central defensive sivedefensive partnership and U20s James Byrne and Osaze Irhue completed the line-up.
It was Foley, returning from injury, who broke the deadlock after only 45 seconds, controlling Cailloce’s pass with a brilliant first touch before racing clear and rolling the ball past Athlone ’keeper Andrew Stuart Trainor.
Goal two came from a 21st-minute corner kick as Brennan’s initial shot was well parried by Trainor who also blocked a follow-up effort before Foley pounced to net from the second rebound.
Foley could have completed his hat-trick by the 23rd minute, but at the end of a great move involving Webster and McNally he hooked the ball over the bar.
It wasn’t all Drogheda by any means, but Barr looked assured when called upon to deal with shots from Jamal Ibrahim and Aaron Connolly, and the Boynesiders went on to extend their lead on the half-hour.
Cailloce flicked on Webster’s pass from midfield towards Foley whose deft touch took him past the on-rushing Trainor before the Balbriggan man followed up to tap home to make sure the ball crossed the line for his hat-trick goal.
Foley was replaced by Zishim Bawa at half-time, but the Drogs made it 4-0 in the 54th minute, Topcu swivelling to send a crisp low shot to the net after McNally’s meandering run from left to right ended with a driven cross that Trainor could only parry.
With the job done at that stage Drogheda rang the changes, one of which was introducing Jack Keaney into central midfield, and in the latter stages Athlone looked more threatening. Barr made several decent saves but must have thought his prized clean sheet was in big danger when Athlone were awarded a mystery penalty in the 86th minute. However, Dylan Gavin’s spot kick was sliced horribly wide and high, clearing the boundary wall and landing somewhere on the Cross Lanes.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Jethren Barr; Osaze Irhue, Evan Haddock, David Webster, Conor Kane (Jack Keaney 62); James Byrne, Emre Topcu (Bridel Bosakani 75); Adam Foley (Zishim Bawa 46), Ryan Brennan (Anthony Moyo 63), Aaron McNally; Killian Cailloce. Subs not used: Warren Davis, Oisín Gallagher, Finn Moore.
ATHLONE TOWN: Andrew Stuart Trainor; Amardo Akeem Oakley, Dylan Hand, Jarlath Jones (Abdul Hassan Barrie 70), Brian Torre; Matthew Leal, Daniel McKenna (Oisin Duffy 66), Aaron Connolly, Ruben Manuel Oliveira Ferreira (Wedu Reneilwe Batlokwa 59); Gideon Tetteh (Dylan Gavin 46), Jamal Ibrahim. Subs not used: Dean Ebbe, Roscoe Rubinstein, Enda Minogue.
REFEREE: Mark Moynihan.
ATTENDANCE: 350.