Cobh Cup clash is make or break for Drogheda
DROGHEDA United are in danger of taking the term ‘summer soccer’ too literally as defeat by Cobh Wanderers in the FAI Cup this Friday (7.45pm) would effectively spell the end of their season before August is out.
With the Boynesiders now 10 points adrift of safety in the league with seven games remaining, their Premier survival prospects hang by a thread, but a second consecutive tie against non-league opposition at least provides hope of reaching the Cup quarter-finals.
Cobh Wanderers, who are just beginning their Munster Senior League season, beat Killarney Celtic 3-0 in the first round, but crucially they must make the long trip to Drogheda this time and the Boynesiders will be at least warm favourites to advance to the last eight of the competition.
Despite his team failing to win any of their last 16 league games, manager Pete Mahon seems happier than he has been for some time, but he’s well aware of the significance of Friday’s fixture in the context of the season as a whole.
‘I felt over the 90 minutes
[in the 2-1 defeat against Bray last Friday] we had some good chances, but more important is the way we’ve played over the last few weeks - since the Pats game,’ said Mahon.
‘We have shown bits of improvement in every game and I thought we played very well on Friday and I am far more positive than I was earlier in the season.
‘We are 10 points adrift in the league and it’s going to be very difficult, but I see a bit of hope and I’m hoping we can continue the way we are playing with the young players we have and get a win and extend our season.
‘But regardless of what happens, we have seven to play [in the league] and we will give everything in every one of those games because we owe it to our supporters. We won’t lie down in any game.’
Asked about Cobh Wanderers, Mahon felt they were a stronger outfit than the Evergreen team who Drogheda defeated 4-0 in the first round but expressed confidence that his team would progress.
‘I’ve not been able to see them in the flesh because their season is only starting,’ he said, ‘but they have a very experienced team, from Michael Devine in goal all the way up to Ian Stapleton at centre-forward. Most of them have played in the League of Ireland, either for Cork City or Cobh Ramblers, and I think the players have three League medals between them.
‘It won’t be easy and it’ll be a step up from Evergreen, but we’re the Premier club and we’re at home and we have to go through.
‘If we play the way we did in Bray, I think we’ll do that.’
Sean Brennan, Stephen Elliott and Kevin Farragher are all back in training after recovering from injury and could come into contention for Friday’s game, but Ciaran McGuigan (broken hand), Colm Deasy and Gavin Brennan remain out.
The tie will be decided on the night, with extra time and penalties if necessary - no replays.
At the Carlisle Grounds on Friday the Boynesiders were undone by two set pieces but pushed right to the end for an equaliser after Chris Mulhall netted his third goal in two games, and Mahon was delighted with the players’ response to going 2-0 down.
‘We ended the match on a high note which was really pleasing,’ he said. ‘I was delighted that the players gave every ounce of energy and that’s a good sign.
‘We’ve got a bit of self-respect back after the disastrous second round of games and Derek [Boyle, Under-19 manager] has a couple of good young players coming through and I would love to stay. We’ve come through a rocky patch and my only regret is that we didn’t sign Dave Mulcahy sooner.
‘You always want a bigger budget, but if we’d had more money it mightn’t have helped us and the money might have been wasted.
‘We have good training facilities, I like the people in charge of the club and I like Drogheda United.
‘Obviously there will be a couple of changes, but if we can keep the nucleus of the team we have now it would be great for Drogheda United.’
We have shown bits of improvement in every game and I thought we played very well on Friday and I am far more positive than I was earlier in the season