In-form Town have final say in eight-goal thriller

DROGHEDA Town head into their final game of the season tonight (Wednesday) with a possibility of finishing fourth in the Leinster Senior League Division 1B Sunday table.

It will be the fourth game for Town in the space of 10 days and two mammoth efforts over the last two fixtures have given Town a chance to end their campaign in a lofty position.

Last Wednesday, a Luke Haggins inspired performance saw Town ground out a 1-0 win at home to Dublin University, the side currently occupying fourth. Sean Berney accounted for the game’s only goal.

Then on Sunday, two goals in injury time saw Drogheda earn a dramatic 4-4 draw at home to Hartstown Huntstown, the team in second.

Speaking ahead of their last game, Town manager Sean Brennan had nothing but praise for his side’s efforts over the last few weeks.

“They’ve given me everything and we keep going to the well, I can’t ask any more of them.

“The fact we have something to play for on the last day is fantastic,” he said.

In Sunday’s match Town dominated the first half but found themselves 2-0 down at the interval. However it could have been a different story as Luke Haggins saw a shot from just inside his half tipped over the bar by his opposite number.

Early in the second half Berney hit a fantastic goal to halve the deficit, but from the re-start Hartstown Huntstown restored their two-goal lead. From a corner, though, Town pulled another goal back as Conor Parkinson rose highest to head home, making it 3-2.

The quick run of games, coupled with the warm conditions at Blackstone Motors Marian Park, saw Town begin to flag and another defensive error cost them a fourth goal.

With the game entering the 90th minute, however, Hakan Topcu was played through and he finished well, and then - in the third minute of injury time - Parkinson once again popped up to score and spark scenes of wild celebration.

It was a goal which almost certainly denied the visitors the league title as they are now three points behind MP FC with an inferior goal difference.

There is plenty on the line in the final game as St Paul’s Artane will host Drogheda. The Dublin outfit can finish second, and while Drogheda beat them 4-0 at home earlier in the season the two clubs’ fortunes have gone in different directions since then.

The hosts, though, have only won twice in their last six league games and that gives Drogheda a serious chance of finishing in an impressive fourth place.