Fringe pair stake claim with goals
Drogheda Utd 2 Finn Harps 1
TWO of manager Tim Clancy’s fringe players scored the goals as Drogheda United moved top of the table with this win on Monday of last week.
This was the refixed game against Finn Harps following the opening-night floodlight farce and the Boynesiders had the first chance on seven minutes as Stephen Meaney chested Kevin Farragher’s long clearance towards Chris Lyons whose shot curled wide.
Harps had strong appeals for a penalty waved away when Ciaran O’Connor went down following a challenge from Mark Doyle.
However, Drogheda were out of luck when Lyons was forced off through injury and replaced by Gareth McCaffrey after just 17 minutes.
The substitute, though, would make an almost instant impact. Entering the second quarter Jake Hyland played the ball up to McCaffrey who took a touch before rounding Harps keeper Ciaran Gallagher. His shot struck the post and then rebounded off the arm of Keith Cowan who was spread-eagled across the goalmouth. Cowan was sent off and McCaffrey kept his cool to net from the spot.
Even better was to come for Drogheda on the half-hour mark as Paul Skinner’s clearance was flicked on by Doyle towards Richie Purdy - making his first start of the season - who drove into the box and fired past Gallagher.
Purdy, the ninth player to score for the Boynesiders just four games in, almost added another goal when his free kick was deflected just wide of the upright.
Harps, though, should have pulled one back just before halftime as Ciaran O’Connor’s strike was deflected towards his brother Michael who skied the ball over the bar at full stretch.
In the second half the outstanding Conor Kane came to the fore with a superb run down the left before crossing into the six-yard area, where McCaffrey was just beaten to the ball by a defender. Ciaran Kelly’s header from the resulting corner was saved by Gallagher, and another inviting ball in from Kane was missed by both Hyland and Meaney, before Gallagher saved again from Purdy’s free kick.
Harps had an opportunity through their substitute Adam Duffy who cleverly made space for a shot which was deflected wide, but Luke Rossiter and McCaffrey had further chances to increase Drogheda’s lead.
Skinner, who had very little to do in the match, denied Michael O’Connor as the Harps player tried to go round him, but the keeper was denied a clean sheet in the fifth and final minute of stoppage time when another of the Harps subs, Mark Hannon, scrambled the ball home.
DROGHEDA UTD: Paul Skinner; Luke Gallagher, Kevin Farragher, Ciaran Kelly, Conor Kane; Jake Hyland, Richie Purdy (Kealan Dillon 76), Luke Rossiter, Mark Doyle; Chris Lyons (Gareth McCaffrey 17), Stephen Meaney. Subs not used: Sean Brennan, Lloyd Buckley, James Carroll, Victor Ekanem, Luca Gratzer.
FINN HARPS: Ciaran Gallagher; Aidan Friel, Keith Cowan, Sam Todd, Lee Toland; Eric Whelan (Adam Duffy 46), Mark Timlin, Mark Coyle, Paddy McCourt (Mark Hannon 70), Ciaran O’Connor (John O’Flynn 79); Michael O’Connor. Subs not used: Gareth Doherty, Ryan Finn, Tommy McBride, Peter Burke.
REFEREE: Robert Harvey (Dublin)
ATTENDANCE: 382