Determined Drogheda back up derby win with precious road trip point
SHELBOURNE 1 DROGHEDA UNITED 1
NOT for the first time this season Drogheda United’s resilience was severely tested at Tolka Park on Friday night and on this occasion they weren’t found wanting as Kevin Doherty’s men picked up a precious point on the road.
Seán Boyd’s second-half strike cancelled out Frantz Pierrot’s early header and Shels threw the kitchen sink at their opponents after that, but Drogheda overcame the loss of Andrew Quinn to injury and defended heroically in the last quarter to frustrate the leaders who saw their advantage at the top of the table cut to a single point.
With confidence high following their dramatic derby win earlier in the week, Drogheda made the dream start, thanks in large part to the energy of Darragh Markey and Luke Heeney which saw Shels cough up possession on the touchline and then concede a free kick for Mark Coyle’s body-check on Heeney.
It was a situation tailor-made for an Evan Weir inswinger and the left-back duly obliged, planting the ball towards the penalty spot from where Pierrot powered a superb header into the top corner of the net.
Shels tried to respond immediately and Will Jarvis had a shot fisted to safety by Andrew Wogan, resuming his place in goal because of Jethren Barr’s suspension and injury. Boyd then saw his header from a free kick flick off the top of the crossbar, although Wogan seemed to have it covered.
More relentless pressing by Drogheda, this time involving Markey and Adam Foley, forced an error in the Shels penalty area and the ball sat up nicely for Markey whose shot was deflected over the bar.
Just past the half-hour point Markey chased down Shels keeper Conor Kearns, forcing him into a poor clearance which went straight to the feet of Warren Davis. However, the youngster failed to make the best use of the opportunity, sending a tame effort straight into the hands of a relieved Kearns.
Good hold-up play by Pierrot led to another half-chance for Markey, with Kearns out of position, but the former St Pat’s man chipped too high and the ball dropped over the crossbar.
In first-half stoppage time Jarvis cut in from the left wing and struck a swerving, dipping shot that seemed to be tipped over the bar by Wogan, but referee Gavin Colfer awarded a goal-kick to Drogheda’s relief.
Shels boss Damien Duff was clearly unhappy with his side’s lack of energy and his three substitutions at the interval certainly bore fruit. Inside the first five minutes
Jarvis headed over from a brilliant Seán Gannon cross, Hayden Cann threw himself in the way of a goal-bound shot and Coyle sliced another effort wide of the target.
Having already replaced Heeney at the break, partly because he was on a yellow card, Drogs boss Doherty was sufficiently concerned to make two more quick changes, and the visitors did conjure a chance on 55 minutes as Pierrot controlled Quinn’s long throw, shook off the attentions of a defender and sent a rasping shot into the side netting.
However, Shels were bossing in the possession stakes and it was no surprise when they equalised on the hour mark.
Markey, who himself was already on a yellow card, tripped Matty Smith 25 yards out on the left-hand side and Drogheda got their positioning all wrong from the resulting set piece. Weir seemed to have two men to mark at the back post and Boyd was the one to profit, stooping low to plant a header past Wogan from Evan Caffrey’s free-kick.
Shels’ more attacking intent in the second half did create a big more space for Drogheda at the other end and Markey almost took advantage in the 67th minute as he dribbled superbly up to the edge of the penalty area before seeing his low shot finger-tipped just wide by Kearns.
However, there was a makeshift look to Drogheda’s defence at this stage, with Dave Webster on for the injured Quinn and fellow sub Conor Kane forced to play at right-back.
Another Shels foray led to a chance for Boyd, but this time he headed over from Caffrey’s corner kick and Markey then tested Kearns with another effort at the other end.
Ryan Brennan, wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of the suspended Gary Deegan, linked up with Pierrot to set up Markey who again ran straight towards goal, but this time he opted to pass to the supporting Weir who couldn’t get a clean shot away.
The physical challenge of playing their fifth game in 14 days seemed to take its toll on Drogheda in the latter stages and sub John Martin went close with two headers, before Paddy Barrett sent a long-range shot flashing a yard wide. Wogan then made a miraculous save with his legs from point-blank range to foil former Drog Dean Williams, who had also come into the action.
With seven minutes added on there was still time for Shels, and in Boyd they had a striker who struck very late equalisers against Derry the previous week and in the previous meeting with Drogheda.
However, this time he was off target with one header and had another blocked, while Williams flashed a volley wide from another Gannon centre.
SHELBOURNE: Conor Kearns 6; Sean Gannon 7, Paddy Barrett 7, Gavin Molloy 7, Tyreke Wilson 6 (Kameron Ledwidge 46, 7); Mark Coyle 6 (John Martin 66, 7), JJ Lunney 6 (Evan Caffrey 46, 7); Shane Farrell 6 (Matty Smith 46, 7), Liam Burt 7(Dean Williams 77, 7), Will Jarvis 7; Sean Boyd 8. Subs not used: Jad Hakiki, John O’Sullivan, Lewis Temple, Lorcan Healy.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Andrew Wogan 7; Luke Heeney 7 (Jack Keaney 46,
7), Andrew Quinn 7 (Dave Webster 67, 7), Hayden Cann 8, Evan Weir 7; Ryan Brennan 7, Oisín Gallagher 7; Adam Foley 6 (Zishim Bawa 54, 7), Darragh Markey 7, Warren Davis 6 (Conor Kane 53, 7); Frantz Pierrot 8. Subs not used: Matthew O’Brien, Emre Topcu, James Byrne, Killian Cailloce, Finn Moore.
ATTENDANCE: 3,596.