Hard-fought point keeps Bit O’Red at arm’s length
Drogheda Utd 1 Sligo Rovers 1
MOST home supporters streaming out of United Park on Friday night would have felt it was a case of ‘two points dropped’ - and they are probably right.
Yes, Drogheda were up against a full-time outfit, one with a bit more spring in their step following the appointment of a new manager, but on the balance of play it was the Boynesiders who were the more polished performers and the more potent going forward.
Therefore, one solitary goal was a poor return considering the number of chances created, while Drogheda also will be cursing themselves for being undone yet again by woeful defending from a set piece situation.
With Bohemians overcoming Finn Harps and bottom club Galway pulling off a shock win against Dundalk, the Boynesiders have been dragged closer to the danger zone even though their league position remains unchanged, and so this was a draw that felt a little bit like a defeat.
Pete Mahon was forced into one change following the previous week’s win in Ballybofey as Shane Elworthy came in as a last-minute replacement for Colm Deasy - and it was Elworthy who combined with Richie Purdy to create an early chance for Adam Wixted who struck a wild effort over the bar.
A feature of the home side’s play throughout the 90 minutes was their composure on the ball. There was no sign of the ‘hit and hope’ approach as Mahon’s team built from the back and linked up well with each other.
That said, Sligo did create two good scoring opportunities in quick succession and most alarming was the way Raffaele Cretaro dribbled unchallenged from inside his own half before unleashing a powerful 20-yard shot that Stephen McGuinness did well to cling onto.
Their other opportunity stemmed from a counter-attack as Liam Martin benefited from a lucky bounce to sprint away from Conor Kane before curling his goal attempt a yard wide.
A tight offside decision stopped Sean Thornton in his tracks as he burst through from a great lay-off by Gareth McCaffrey, and a minute later the crowd came to life as Stephen Elliott linked with Wixted before curling a left-footer towards the top corner. Former Drogs favourite Micheàl Schlingermann, on his first return to United Park, dived full-length to his right to turn the ball round the post.
On 22 minutes, though, Schlingermann was beaten as Gavin Brennan passed to McCaffrey who somehow wriggled his way past two defenders and unleashed an early shot from more than 20 yards that nestled in the bottom corner of the Sligo net.
Bristling with confidence, McCaffrey nearly struck for the second time only two minutes later. Brennan blocked down a Kyle McFadden clearance and was subsequently fouled by the defender, and McCaffrey hit the resulting free with venom from 30 yards out, forcing Schlingermann into action again.
Defensive midfielder Purdy then came forward and had a shot blocked inadvertently by McCaffrey as Drogheda continued to attack with purpose, and Brennan volleyed into the side netting from an Elworthy cross that glanced off the head of a Sligo defender.
Just after the half-hour Drogheda should have doubled their lead as Brennan nodded Luke Gallagher’s long ball down to Elliott and he teed up Thornton whose shot from close range beat Schlingermann but grazed the post as it bounced wide.
A careless pass by McCaffrey resulted in another Sligo counter-attack led by Cretaro, but Gallagher followed the veteran striker all the way back and made a crucial tackle as he lined up a shot.
Kieran Sadlier forced McGuinness into a save at his near post as Sligo built up a bit of momentum, and the Bit O’Red were handed a gift-wrapped chance of an equaliser on 38 minutes.
Elworthy had the situation under control as he stuck closely to Jonah Ayunga, forcing the big striker to dribble away from goal, but the teenage defender then showed his inexperience as he was tempted into a needless challenge just inside the box.
Unfortunately for the youngster, he made contact with Ayunga’s legs and referee Ray Matthews rightly pointed to the spot, so Elworthy was the most relieved man on the field when McGuinness brilliantly saved Sadlier’s penalty, diving to his right.
Instead of seeing out the remaining seven minutes of the first half, though, Drogheda conceded
on 41 when Sadlier’s deep corner evaded everyone except the unmarked Ayunga who nodded home from inside the six-yard box.
The home side went up the other end immediately and almost restored their lead as Brennan, at full stretch, just failed to get a touch on Elliott’s cross before the Sligo defence scrambled the ball clear.
By comparison, the second period wasn’t quite so eventful and entertaining, but if anything Drogheda were even more dominant and Schlingermann once again frustrated his former club on 57 minutes when pushing another Elliott shot round the post.
Sligo didn’t have a single shot at goal in the second half, but they did have one scoring chance on the hour mark when Martin’s cross flew just out of the reach of the long legs of Ayunga at the back post.
McCaffrey and Wixted then combined to put Elworthy away down the right and the full-back’s brilliant cross just evaded McCaffrey and Thornton as it flew invitingly across the six-yard box.
McCaffrey tested Schlingermann from distance and then Conor Kane dribbled brilliantly from his own half, beating several players. Just for a moment it seemed he might go all the way himself, but he played a one-two with Wixted and then drove the ball across the box, with no teammate close enough to get a decisive touch beyond Schlingermann.
Sligo had another lucky escape on 67 minutes as Thornton’s corner dropped to Ciaran McGuigan and his mis-hit shot bounced towards Gallagher who couldn’t react quick enough to steer the ball home from five yards.
Killian Brennan came on for the last 15 minutes - his first taste of action since breaking his collarbone on the opening day of the season - and he had a chance to win it for Drogheda on 80 minutes.
Fellow sub Marc Griffin created the opening when he out-foxed his marker and dribbled along the endline before pulling the ball back, but Brennan was off balance and sliced his shot well wide.
In the end it was ‘only’ a draw and it’s a case of small margins, as ever. A win on Friday would have put Drogheda within a point of fourth-placed Limerick, but instead they are just three clear of the relegation places going into another vital game against rejuvenated Galway.
With small improvements at both ends of the field, they can begin to turn results like this one and the undeserved home loss to Bohemians into wins. Otherwise there is no doubt that come the last six games of the season, Pete Mahon’s men will be in the thick of a battle to avoid the dreaded drop.