Home win is so sweet for Horgan

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THEY say you can only beat what’s put in front of you, but Drogheda Town have done just over the past two weeks to record their first back-to-back league wins since October 2014.

Not only that, but in defeating Wicklow Rovers last Friday night they collected their first three points at their home pitch since April of last year when - coincidentally - Wicklow were the visitors to Blackstone Motors Marian Park.

Having narrowly overcome doomed Ratoath the previous week, Drogheda were looking to climb out of the bottom two, but at half-time their prospects didn’t look too bright against their fellow strugglers.

Nevertheless, Town began well enough and dominated the opening half-hour, creating two openings of note. First, Andy Hickey struck a 40-yard piledriver which bounced off the outside of the Wicklow post, and then Dean Haggins slipped a pass through to Leon Hughes whose shot forced a fine save from the opposition keeper.

However, on the half-hour mark Town were hit by a sucker punch as Wicklow forced a corner kick from which they grabbed the lead goal, and they still held that advantage going into the interval.

Set pieces were one aspect of Drogheda’s play which were very good in the first half, so it was ironic that a poorly struck corner kick resulted in their equalising goal just after half-time.

Eoghan Breathnach’s inswinger barely left the ground, but the ball had sufficient pace on it to dissect the Wicklow defender at the front post and nestle in the net.

While that was a scrappy goal, the same certainly couldn’t be said of Town’s winner in the 70th minute. Again, it came from a corner kick as Hickey’s delivery was headed back across goal by Neil Donnelly towards Daniel Kerr who connected beautifully with a scissors kick from outside the box for the lead goal.

Dundalk-based Kerr had contacted Town on Facebook recently, asking if he could come to training, and Robbie Horgan’s decision to sign him in the transfer window has certainly paid off.

Giving his reaction to the two wins on the bounce, manager Horgan said: ‘I was very happy with the performance on Friday - hard work, but we got the three points and it was a welcome boost to do it at home.

‘As my assistant Paul Emmett said to me, it’s six points in six days and we have not said that too often, but we had a full 18 to choose from and when we have that we have got a chance.’

Town now face into consecutive away games against Manortown United and Wicklow Rovers again.