Drogs need goals as derby looms on horizon
THE League of Ireland mightn’t be at the forefront of Drogheda United players’ minds this week as many of them bask in the Mediterranean sunshine on their summer holidays.
But at some point they will think back to the first half of the season and no doubt wonder ‘what if’ - for it can be said unequivocally that the Boynesiders’ last five drawn matches should all have been victories.
They have been the better side and have created the best chances in four of those games, and in the fifth - at home to Galway - they were 2-1 ahead going into stoppage time and still couldn’t hang on for the three points.
It doesn’t take an Einstein to work out that Drogheda would be challenging for Europe and virtually safe from relegation if they had somebody who could put the ball in the net regularly.
Unfortunately it was more of the same in Dalymount Park on Friday last as Pete Mahon’s team struggled in front of goal, and in the end they almost paid an even heavier price as a poor Bohemians side almost snatched an unlikely victory at the death.
Yes, the Boynesiders succeeded in keeping a third consecutive Premier Division clean sheet for the first time since 2013, but five games without scoring is an alarming statistic and if that weakness can’t be addressed soon then the chances are that Drogheda will be back in the league’s second tier next season.
Three of their best midfielders were absent for the trip to Dalymount in Killian Brennan and Richie Purdy (injured) and Sean Thornton (suspended), but on the plus side recent signing Ryan Masterson was available after his international clearance came through - one of four forwards on the substitutes’ bench.
Bohemians went into this game with two home wins out of eight to their name and from an early stage they struggled again, despite their manager Keith Long’s rallying call to his players to up their game in front of their own fans.
Drogheda were also slow to kick into gear, with a couple of decent Marc Griffin set-piece deliveries coming to nothing.
However, on the quarter-hour mark Stephen Dunne did well to break a couple of tackles and advance towards goal before teeing up Griffin who sliced an attempted 25-yard shot towards the corner flag.
A much better oppportunity presented itself to Griffin on 21 minutes. Adam Wixted carried the ball from well inside his own half, before rolling the ball towards Griffin, and an untimely slip by Bohs’ Derek Pender left the number 7 inside the box and with only Shane Supple to beat.
Griffin, who seems to be desperately short of confidence at the moment, went for power rather than placement and shot too close to the keeper who was able to beat the ball away to safety.
Bohs’ first attempt on goal came from a free kick as Keith Ward squared the ball to Laytown native Georgie Poynton whose first-time shot was easily gathered by Stephen McGuinness.
But within a minute another Drogheda chance went begging as a Dunne cross was missed by Griffin but fell invitingly for Wixted whose rasping shot struck the head of a Bohs defender. Sean Brennan then drove a shot diagonally across the six-yard box.
At the other end Ward chipped a corner kick into the path of Oscar Brennan who hooked over the bar, and Dunne did well to anticipate Pender’s intentions and block the full-back’s shot.
Jake Hyland appealed despairingly to the Welsh referee for a penalty kick when Rob Cornwall’s challenge denied him a shooting chance, but the decision was ‘only’ a corner and from Griffin’s kick Wixted had an effort saved at the second attempt by Supple.
That was actually another clear opportunity missed as the keeper spilled the ball several yards in front of him, yet no Drogheda player was alert to the rebound.
Wixted then shot weakly straight at Supple after Ryan McEvoy had picked him out in a wide position.
Bohs nearly snatched the lead in the 41st minute when Ward swung a corner kick to the back post towards Dan Byrne, and a crucial fingertip touch by McGuinness was sufficient to put off the centre-half who was running in behind him.
In first-half stoppage time, though, it was the Bohemians goal that led a charmed life. Griffin’s initial cross was met by Colm Deasy whose effort was scrambled clear by Lorcan Fitzgerald.
Then, from the resulting corner by Griffin, Ciaran McGuigan hooked the ball back into the sixyard area and Pender somehow got above Hyland on the goal-line to nod clear.
On the restart, Gavin Brennan tried to catch Supple off his line from half-way, only to see his effort go a yard wide of the target.
However, Deasy had to be alert when making a block tackle on Ward as he tried to get a shot away, and Cornwall and Ward then combined to tee up Dinny Corcoran who shot straight at McGuinness.
On the hour mark Gavin Bren-
nan showed his prowess in the air when sending a 15-yard header narrowly wide from a Wixted cross, and Hyland’s departure shortly after with an injury resulted in a first appearance for Masterson.
With virtually his first touch, the former Hyde United player got on the end of a move involving McEvoy and Wixted and unleashed a powerful drive that was turned behind by Supple.
That was a very promising start by the pacy former Cherry Orchard youth, but his lack of match fitness soon became apparent and he appeared to struggle through the final 10 minutes of the game, during which he earned a booking for an ill-timed tackle from behind.
The action was hotting up around him, though, as the game became increasingly stretched.
Luke Gallagher sent a header straight into the arms of Supple from a Griffin corner, but a long-range Ward strike which was turned around the post by McGuinness marked the start of a fine spell from the home side.
Byrne headed over from a Fitzgerald corner as McEvoy did just enough to put him off, and McGuinness then made a straightforward save from a Ward free kick.
In stoppage time Drogheda had one more scoring chance as the mostly quiet Sean Brennan swung in a superb cross towards brother Gavin who headed wide from 10 yards.
However, in the dying seconds of stoppage time Deasy twice came to Drogheda’s rescue, heading off the line from a Corcoran cross before blocking a goal-bound shot by Bohs sub Philly Gannon.
The jury’s very much still out on the importance of new boy Masterson to Drogheda’s cause between now and the end of October.
Having only recently overcome a serious injury, there will be doubts over whether he can remain fit and score a significant number of goals.
Former international Stephen Elliott mustn’t be forgotten either, although he too hasn’t been 100% fit recently, and it may be that Drogheda will have to do some forward-thinking business in the transfer window if they are to turn around their fortunes in front of goal.
Otherwise the recent decision to release Gareth McCaffrey, one of their big scoring threats, might come back to haunt them.
It doesn’t take an Einstein to work out that Drogheda would be challenging for Europe and virtually safe from relegation if they had somebody who could put the ball in the net regularly.