Deserved win leaves the Drogs tickled pink
Drogheda Utd 2 Wexford 0
ON A crazy Friday night in the League of Ireland when Premier high-flyers Waterford and Derry City conceded 11 goals between them, we witnessed a rather more mundane affair at United Park.
However, it was a case of ‘job done’ as Drogheda backed up their win in Athlone the week before with a slightly more convincing performance against Wexford.
There was no repeat of the 8-1 scoreline down in Ferrycarrig Park back in March, but United fans travelled home reasonably satisfied as other results ensured that the Drogs strengthened their grip on second place in the table.
Finn Harps’ defeat at the hands of Cobh in Ballybofey was certainly an unexpected bonus, while Longford’s draw against Shelbourne sees both those clubs also slip further off the pace.
Interestingly, Drogs boss Tim Clancy named the exact same starting XI that destroyed Wexford on their own patch, but a repeat performance never looked likely against a patched-up away team who battled gamely for the entire 90 minutes.
In fairness, though, they hadn’t made the long journey from the South East just to defend, despite a number of injuries that left them with two empty places on the subs bench. Their tally of eight corner kicks was a telling statistic and it will surely be a concern to Clancy that the second-bottom club enjoyed so much possession in Drogheda’s half of the field, even though goalkeeper Paul Skinner remained untroubled.
The Boynesiders’ early promise was limited to a couple of runs from Lee Duffy and Chris Lyons, one of which ended in a sliced cross over the endline and the other an offside flag.
Referee David Dunne felt the need to warn Wexford keeper Kealan Gaffney about time-wasting in the 14th minute of the game, and unfortunately that was a sign of things to come as the play was often rather pedestrian in nature.
Indeed, the first two scoring chances fell to the visitors as Shane Barnes’ 25-yard shot was held at the second attempt by Skinner and a Thomas Croke header from a corner rose over the crossbar.
Drogheda then suffered a blow with the loss of their captain Jake Hyland, who came off worse in a clash of heads and departed with a large bulge below his left eye, to be replaced by Kealan Dillon.
The break in play, though, seemed to help Drogheda and straight after the restart they created their first chance. Luke Gallagher’s ball towards the penalty area was nodded down by Sean Brennan into the path of Lyons whose shot took a big deflection off Liam McCartan and rolled agonisingly wide.
Ciaran Kelly missed a great opportunity from the resulting corner as he steered a close-range header wide from Brennan’s pinpoint delivery.
A foul on Gallagher out on the left gave Brennan the chance to go for goal from 30 yards, having scored twice from the same position in the clubs’ previous meeting. However, on this occasion his effort dipped just over the bar.
Brennan was yellow-carded for dissent shortly after, and then he was joined in the book by Duffy for going down too easily in the box after a slick passing move involving Dillon and Colm Deasy.
A minute later Duffy’s mood changed for the better when he had a hand in the breakthrough goal. He latched onto a Brennan pass and hit a low that which bounced awkwardly in front of Gaffney. He could only parry the ball into the path of the ever-alert Lyons who steered the rebound into the empty net.
All that good work was almost undone on the stroke of half-time when Conor Kane got into a tangle out on the left, setting up a counter-attack opportunity for Wexford. They worked the ball up to their best player on the night, Croke, whose 20-yard shot grazed the outside of the post.
Well into the second half the game remained finely balanced as Drogheda huffed and puffed but lacked sufficient invention in midfield to create clear-cut openings.
Wexford’s prospects weren’t helped by the loss of Barnes who was shoulder-charged into the wall by Kelly just in front of the small band of away supporters. The hard-working striker had to be substituted, nursing a bloody head wound, with his team’s goal drought now heading towards six hours of football.
Gaffney made a comfortable save when a Brennan free kick glanced off the head of his own defender Danny Doyle, but Duffy - already on a yellow - was walking a tightrope at this stage after tumbling in the area for a second time right in front of the assistant referee. There was no signal from the official and the tackler, John Morgan, angrily protested, looking for the Drogheda number 7 to get a second caution.
On 67 minutes Kevin Farragher’s fine pass released Deasy and his cross picked out Mark Doyle whose goal-bound shot was superbly cleared off the line by Owen McCormack. Brennan then tested Gaffney from very long range, but on 70 minutes Wexford threatened as Dean George saw his shot brilliantly blocked by Farragher and Croke’s effort from the rebound rose over the bar.
Drogheda went straight back on the attack and Dillon and Deasy combined to release Duffy who cut inside and went for goal, with Gaffney saving at the second attempt.
Duffy then ran onto a powerful headed clearance from Kelly and ran at the Wexford defence, beating three players before arrowing a left-foot shot just over the crossbar.
At long last a bit of space was starting to open up as the visitors
went in pursuit of an equaliser, and the Boynesiders took full advantage in the 81st minute as Kane drifted towards the byeline just inside the box, inviting a mistimed challenge from McCartan.
Referee Dunne was perfectly positioned to award the penalty and Brennan was coolness personified as he rolled the spot kick into the left corner of Gaffney’s net.
Brennan almost added a second goal moments later when he drifted menacingly into the box before seeing his fierce drive from an acute angle turned round the post by Gaffney.
At the other end McCormack powered a header over Skinner’s crossbar, but deep into stoppage time Drogheda almost put some gloss on the scoreline when Dillon’s free kick flicked off the head of Croke and dipped just over the Wexford crossbar.
•A minute’s silence was observed before kick-off in memory of former international and Drogheda United player/coach Arthur Fitzsimons, who died recently.