Rare spot of success in Leinster for the Drogs
DROGHEDA UNITED BANGOR CELTIC
Drogheda Utd 0 Bangor Celtic 0
0 0
The Boynesiders didn’t even get close to Bangor’s goal until the 74th minute, when Purdy’s corner ran through to Meaney at the far post and his goal-bound shot was brilliantly parried by Varnier, diving low and full-length to his right.
With the wind-chill effect making the temperature feel like -4, the full-time whistle was met by groans from the small attendance, especially when they discovered that there would indeed be extra time rather than the tie moving straight to penalty kicks.
If anything, Bangor looked the more likely to score in those additional 30 minutes and Skinner rather unconvincingly scrambled an Aaron Coleman header round the post mid-way through the second period.
Then, with time almost up, the Drogheda keeper produced an excellent point-blank save to deny Ronan Byrne, but the stalemate remained and so the tie was decided on a penalties, with the huge figure of Varnier fancied to give a good account of himself for Bangor.
However, both sides converted their first four kicks at the clubhouse end, with Lee Duffy, Purdy, Gareth McCaffrey and Meaney all successful for Drogheda and Skinner well beaten by each of Bangor’s penalties.
Poor Adeyemo, who must have been out on his feet at this stage, was bizarrely entrusted with taking the Boynesiders’ last kick of the five and his well-struck effort grazed the wrong side of Varnier’s right-hand post.
That left Bangor captain Dunne with the chance to knock Drogheda out, but his attempt cannoned off the butt of Skinner’s right-hand post.
And so the shootout moved on to sudden-death, and after Luke Rossiter kept his cool with a lovely penalty Skinner dived to his left to parry Synnott’s effort and send the Drogs into the fifth round.
They had six teenagers on the field at the end and no doubt Clancy will opt to give more of his Under-19s a chance when the tie comes around.
For that reason alone, it’s a competition worth staying in. DROGHEDA UNITED: