All square once again at Eamonn
Shels drop points again but stay at the summit
HAVING A BALL: Shelbourne’s Sean Boyd grabs the ball after scoring but there were no more goals on the night
THEY left it behind them. Then again Shelbourne have done that in the weeks that followed their blistering start to the season.
After winning six of their opening seven, they have now won just one out of nine. And yet they are still top, one point clear of Derry.
The way they took the game to Drogheda after the break was indicative of how good a team they have become this season.
Repeat that and they’ll go deep in this championship race.
Yet they will go nowhere if that first-half display becomes their norm.
Trailing to an early goal from Frantz Pierrot, Shelbourne played without pace or intensity for 40 minutes, their underperformance reflected in the decision by Damien Duff to sub three of his players at half-time.
Message received, Shelbourne’s second-half performance was unrecognisable from the dross they served up in the opening 45 minutes.
And it nearly paid off. Twice in injury-time, they came within inches of securing a win.
Drogheda, however, are resilient and organised.
They did what they had to do. If the end was dramatic, the beginning was explosive, Drogheda going in front after just two minutes and five seconds, when Pierrot headed in Evan Weir’s free-kick. Drogheda were comfortable. Shels weren’t.
From our vantage point in the
by Garry DOYLE
Boyd 60
Pierrot 3
main stand, you could eavesdrop on Duff’s instructions to his players.
Initially, he was demanding more from Sean Boyd and he certainly got that message across because after a slow start, he was a big player in this game, scoring the equaliser, coming close several other times.
From a Tyreke Wilson freekick, the big striker glanced a shot onto the top of the crossbar.
Intensity
In a break in play, Duff called his players across to him and demanded more intensity.
“Don’t wait another 20 minutes,” roared. “Let’s go now.”
They didn’t react quickly enough, ultimately paying the price by getting no more than a point.
It could have been worse. Keeper Conor Kearns’ kicking led directly to two Drogheda chances. They fluffed both.
Finally by injury-time, Shelbourne found their groove, putting together a great move, ending with Will Jarvis cutting in from the left, unleashing a shot which was comfortably saved.
While the pitch was not helping their cause, it wasn’t the only reason they were not playing well.
A key factor was a lack of energy.
KEARNS .......................................... 6 GANNON ......................................... 6 MOLLOY ........................................... 7 BARRETT ......................................... 7 WILSON ........................................... 6 COYLE ............................................. 6 LUNNEY .......................................... 6 FARRELL ......................................... 6 BURT ............................................... 6 BOYD ............................................... 7 JARVIS ............................................. 7
DARRAGH MARKEY
Superb trickery from the Drogs playmaker
WOGAN ........................................... 8 QUINN .............................................. 7 CANN ............................................... 7 GALLAGHER ..................................... 7 WEIR ................................................ 7 BRENNAN ....................................... 6 HEENEY .......................................... 6 FOLEY ............................................. 6 MARKEY ......................................... 9 DAVIS ............................................... 7 PIERROT .......................................... 7
Keaney (for Heaney, 46) ................. 7 Kane (for Davis, 53) ....................... 6 Bawa (for Foley, 55) ....................... 6 Weir (for Webster, 67) .................... 6
TOLKA PARK PITCH
Sandier than the Sahara Desert
REFEREE:
Duff didn’t waste much time making a point of getting this to improve, three players subbed at the break, and from that moment on, it was a different Shelbourne.
And also a different game. There were chances at both ends; Gannon’s cross led to Jarvis heading over.
Next came a shot from Pierrot which hit the sidenetting.
Then Shels scored, Caffrey with the free-kick, whipped in from the left, Boyd with the back-post header. 1-1
You would have backed Shels to win then.
But Markey was a constant thorn in their side, his meandering run nearly leading to a second Drogheda goal.
Kearns saved well.
Then Shels stepped up a gear. There was a cross from Matty Smith, and a header from John Martin that went wide.
Dean Williams had two late chances. Andrew Wogan saved one; the other went wide.
Then Boyd tried his luck twice. But Shels had no luck.
Just a point to reflect on — albeit one that keeps them clear at the top.
IN THE AIR: Sligo’s Charlie Wiggett gets up highest against Robert Slevin
by Caomhan O’CONNELL
IT WAS a second 0-0 draw in a Connacht derby this season as both sides spurned chances in an edgy encounter at a sun-splashed Eamonn Deacy Park.
Visitors Sligo Rovers almost had a picture-perfect start when they threatened the goal twice in the opening minutes.
Max Mata had a good effort saved by Brendan Clarke and in the same attack, Stefan Radosavljevic had an even better chance but his side-footed shot whistled wide.
Outstanding
Killian Brouder had the best chance of the first half for the home team but his header was stopped on the line by JR Wilson who was outstanding for the hosts.
Sligo had the ball in the net after the half hour mark when Mata’s quick reaction finish was chalked off for an offside.
United had a great chance for the opener but Walsh’s volley after a brilliant counter-attack blazed just over.
Substitute Maurice Nugent had a header off the bar after another dangerous Ed McCarthy throw.
There was late drama when Wilson Waweru raced clear but the United old boy couldn’t steal a won for Sligo.