Five-star show from Drogs ahead of Shels double-header
Cobh Ramblers 1 Drogheda Utd 5
IRELAND’S only dedicated cruise terminal is nestled in Cork Harbour barely a stone’s throw from Cobh Ramblers FC, but it was Drogheda United who were in cruise control on Saturday evening.
In a town made famous as the last port of call for the world’s most famous liner on her ill-fated maiden voyage, the Boynesiders were perhaps expecting a ‘Titanic’ struggle against a Cobh side who had won their two previous games.
However, in a repeat of their devastating scoring performance in Wexford earlier this season, Drogheda stunned their hosts with a burst of four goals in eight first-half minutes to render the remaining hour of the contest virtually meaningless.
On a ground where Cobh have traditionally performed well, losing at home only twice in each of the last two seasons, they were taken apart in a fashion that even their own fans must have secretly admired.
Yet there was no early sign of the goal bonanza to come as the initial exchanges were tight and untidy on a bumpy surface.
The blinding sun shone from the clubhouse end into the faces of the Drogheda players, and that might explain what happened in the seventh minute.
Perhaps Lee Duffy and Chris Lyons simply didn’t see each other and a nasty clash of heads resulted as they chased after the same ball. Both needed lengthy treatment before being able to continue, the latter now sporting a head bandage.
Drogs keeper Paul Skinner easily claimed a looping header from Adam O’Sullivan and that was the sum total of Cobh’s goal threat after dominating possession in the opening 15 minutes.
The only other incident of note during that spell was a crunching - but fair - man-and-ball challenge by Ciaran Kelly on O’Sullivan near the touchline which was reminiscent of Graham Gartland’s tackle during the 2005 FAI Cup Final against Cork City.
Drogheda finally put together a good attacking move on 16 minutes when Kevin Farragher intercepted a pass and released Colm Deasy who played a one-two with Lee Duffy before firing just wide from 25 yards.
However, Cobh responded well and they twice threatened to score around the mid-way point in the first half. First, Ian Mylod fizzed a powerful 25-yard shot just over the crossbar, and then Skinner did very well to block with his leg from an angled Denzil Fernandez effort.
Had Fernandez being able to find a way past the keeper the final outcome could have been very different, but instead it was at that point that Drogheda turned the screw.
On 28 minutes a Sean Brennan corner was cleared by the Cobh defence into the D, from where Richie Purdy lashed a 20-yard shot through a crowd of bodies and past the outstretched hand of keeper Paul Hunt.
Disaster then struck for the home side as a pass was played across the back four towards Ben O’Riordan who, with his back to goal, took a heavy touch.
Mark Doyle, who was loitering nearby, was onto the loose ball in a flash and he dribbled round the advancing Hunt before firing low and hard to the net from a tight angle as a back-tracking defender tried in vain to clear off the line.
Drogheda were on a roll now and their next opportunity also led to a goal as a Brennan corner was nodded down by Kelly towards Doyle who, with his weaker right foot, powered a shot in off the bar from 10 yards. Three goals in four minutes!
There was more to come from the Boynesiders. They were winning all the 50/50 balls now and after Cobh had repelled one or two half-chances the away side struck yet again in the 36th minute.
Another fierce drive from Purdy was fisted out by Hunt, but only into the path of centre-half Kelly who for the second week running showed the instincts of a forward as he fired low and hard past the keeper.
From a position 10 minutes earlier where Drogheda could easily have fallen behind, they were now 4-0 up and home and hosed.
Th netting at that end had taken such a pummelling that it needed running repairs during the interval, but not surprisingly the second half was something of a non-event by comparison.
Duffy dragged a 25-yard effort well wide and Anthony McAlavey had the ball in the net for Cobh but had already been flagged offside.
Drogheda eventually added to their tally on 61 minutes when Brennan’s low cross to the near post was deftly touched past Hunt by Lyons.
Kelly, who was once more excellent throughout, made a fine block as Fernandez tries to tee up the ball for a teammate in the Drogheda box, but the away side nearly got in for a sixth goal on 70 minutes.
Doyle made the initial surge forward before spotting the run of substitute Gareth McCaffrey. The former Shamrock Rovers man was closed down by two defenders, but the ball ran loose to fellow sub Stephen Meaney who scrambled the ball towards goal, only for James McSweeney to make an acrobatic overhead clearance off the line.
Cian Leonard, who himself had only just come on in the Cobh attack, denied the Drogs a clean sheet when he fired past Skinner
in the 72nd minute.
Right on full-time Deasy did very well to slip in McCaffrey who arrowed a shot towards the top corner from 12 yards, only for Hunt to make a superb tip-over save.
With leaders UCD also winning in Longford the same evening, Drogheda will have to be content with second place in the table for now, but if the goals continue to flow with such regularity they will take some beating - even against the top teams.