Injury-time Brennan penalty sees Drogheda stun Cork City
Drogheda United 3
Cork City 2
Barry Landy reports from Sullivan & Lambe Park
RYAN BRENNAN, NOT for the first time in his long and storied Drogheda United career, was the hero as his side broke Cork City hearts with a 96th minute penalty.
The 33-year-old has well over 200 Drogheda United games under his belt now and is both an FAI Cup and League Cup winner.
But few moments could possibly have felt as sweet as his late goal to claim all three points at Sullivan & Lambe Park on Bank Holiday Monday.
Drogheda had trailed and then led before being pegged back by a late Djenairo Daniels goal, his second of the game. It looked like, once again, Drogheda's propensity for losing points from winning positions could come back to haunt them.
After four winless matches that suggested Drogheda United's early season bubble might be about to burst, Warren Davis' second half goal looked to have set them on the path to a first victory in five against Tim Clancy's team.
Advertisement
Warren Davis of Drogheda celebrates his goal with Owen Lambe. James Lawlor / INPHO James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Daniels' early opener had been cancelled out by Shane Farrell's deflected free-kick in the first half.
With St Patrick's Athletic playing in Bank Holiday Monday's late game, their return to the summit of the Premier Division may be brief depending on the outcome of things on Foyleside.
That will matter little to Kevin Doherty and his team though. Following defeat in Galway and then their squandering of two-goal lead against Sligo Rovers on Friday last, victory by any means necessary was all that mattered.
Their concession of the points at the Showgrounds meant that Drogheda had lost 12 points from winning positions in the league this season. However, just as they did against Derry City earlier this term, they showed here they also have the character and capability
to bounce back.
Former Drogs manager Tim Clancy made just one change from his starting line-up at Turners Cross with Harry Nevin replacing Rio Shipston.
But Doherty made six changes with goalkeeper Luke Dennison, Darragh Markey and Paul Doyle all injured.
Daniels eighth minute goal was well worked. He played in Kitt Nelson and the winger supplied a low cross that after Drogheda failed to clear, the Dutchman blasted in via the crossbar.
Djenairo Daniels of Cork City. James Lawlor / INPHO James Lawlor / INPHO / INPHO
Cork were the better side in the opening 30 minutes but Drogheda drew level when Farrell's free-kick hit off a head in the City wall and flew into the net.
United hit the front after a fine move involving Luke Heeney and Farrell ended with Owen Lambe crossing for Davis to finish from close range. It was the in-form 20-year-old's sixth goal of a very productive season.
With Daniels's 85th minute leveller, it looked as if United were to drop further points from winning positions in the league. Once again, Cork got down the left and when Alex Nolan delivered, the former PSV youngster produced a smart finish at the near post
to beat Jack Brady.
But Brennan sent Tein Troost the wrong way to send the majority the ground into delirium.
Drogheda United: Jack Brady; Andrew Quinn, Conor Keeley, George Cooper (James Bolger, 76); Owen Lambe, Luke Heeney, Ryan Brennan, Conor Kane; Shane Farrell; Douglas James-Taylor (Thomas Oluwa, 67), Warren Davis (Bridel Bosakani, 76).
Cork City: Tein Troost; Harry Nevin (Alex Nolan, 65), Freddie Anderson, Charlie Lyons, Mathew Kiernan (Rio Shipston, 53); Darragh Crowley, Sean Murray, Evan McLaughlin; Cathal O'Sullivan, Djenairo Daniels, Kitt Nelson (David Dunne, 77).
Referee: Aaron O'Dowd
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
6 hours ago
- Irish Independent
‘It raises a lot of complicated questions' – Drogheda's US owner opens up on impact of European nightmare
Exclusive | United co-chairman admits internal confidence around navigating Uefa's ownership rules were 'misplaced' but resolves to fix 'bump in the road' It was late Monday morning in Birmingham, Alabama when Ben Boycott, the co-chairman of Drogheda United, learned the crushing news that the club's European campaign was over before it had started. He immediately booked a flight to Ireland and told his wife he was going to be away until the weekend. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) hearing that confirmed Drogheda's fate, by standing over Uefa's decision to expel them from the Europa Conference League, may have been a six-hour virtual affair with scratchy connectivity, but Boycott knew the fall-out needed to be handled face to face.
The 42
6 hours ago
- The 42
'He has that Corkness in him. It's not arrogance' - The brilliance of Cathal O'Sullivan
AT THE END of his very first training session in charge of Cork City, Tim Clancy sidled over to teenager Cathal O'Sullivan and asked him where he wanted to be in 18 months' time, at which point he would be 18. 'England,' replied O'Sullivan, without missing a beat. Six months later, Clancy asked him the same question and received the same, instant answer. By England, O'Sullivan means the Premier League. That move looks likely to come to fruition this summer, with Crystal Palace among the top-flight English clubs interested. 'He can be whatever he wants', says O'Sullivan's team-mate Seani Maguire. 'He's one of the best young fellas I've probably played with, and that includes in England.' O'Sullivan has been on a three-year professional deal with Cork City, but that expires at the end of this year. Had he been tied longer-term to the kind of deal St Pat's struck with Mason Melia, O'Sullivan's transfer fee would likely have exceeded €1 million. City must therefore decide whether to lose him at the end of the season for nothing but a mandated compensation fee of approximately €290,000, or sell him this summer and negotiate a sell-on clause and performance-related add-ons. Advertisement The latter is the likeliest to come to pass, though it would mean City will have to stave off relegation this season without a key attacking player, given O'Sullivan has played in all but 21 minutes of their last 13 games. O'Sullivan has been playing off the right side of Cork's attack under new manager Ger Nash, but is viewed as being most effective in central areas, if not as a number 10, then as an attacking player drifting inside on to his left foot to create from the half-spaces. O'Sullivan's raw talent is easily discerned, and was obvious to Cork City's academy when he first arrived, playing in an U13 team that featured Matthew Moore, now at German club Hoffenheim. He was rich in game intelligence: O'Sullivan knew when to carry the ball and when to pass, and knew the right time and weight to put on that pass. He also had the innate intelligence to understand how to use his small frame. He effortlessly took the ball on the half-turn, knew how to angle himself to shield possession and then push away from pressure, and developed the kind of craft needed to help him beat his opponent. Watch how O'Sullivan will sometimes skip by his marker and then run under his arm, knowing the opponent then has only two options: let him go, or foul him with such blatant cynicism they are likely to be booked. The City academy quickly realised their work with O'Sullivan was mainly about coaching off-ball work, as they were determined not to coach the natural talent out of him. O'Sullivan in action against James Norris of Shelbourne in a recent Premier Division tie. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO Modern academy dogma teaches players to take two to three touches and then pass, to the point their dribbling abilities can be hammered out of them. City academy head Liam Kearney had his own experience like this, signed by Nottingham Forest as a winger and then told to pass more often and dribble less. O'Sullivan has continued to express himself at first-team level, as anyone who has take a trip to Turner's cross of late will attest. 'He just loves playing football,' says Kearney. 'When I look at Cathal, he has that Corkness in him. It's not arrogance, it's, 'I believe I am very good and I am here to show people that.'' But talent alone is never enough. 'You can see as clear as day how good he is on the ball, I think it's just his attitude towards everything', says Maguire. 'I think that's what teams in England will look for first.' That attitude has already been tested. The O'Sullivan secret was long out by the time he was 16, and thus was subject of interest from clubs in England and across Europe. Then, in a training session with the Irish U16s, he leapt to attack a back post header and landed awkwardly on his knee, suffering a serious ACL injury. A lonely, isolated rehabilitation followed, during which the overseas clamour to sign O'Sullivan was somewhat stalled. He recovered, however, with figures at the club remarking at the physical shape in which he returned. Consider his recovery as part of that above mantra. I believe I am very good and I am here to show people that. He has some areas in which to improve, with seven goals and seven assists across 43 league games in both tiers for City a return with some room for improvement, though O'Sullivan is widely seen as a profile of player who will flourish in a team stocked with better players. And while Maguire is among those to attest to O'Sullivan's toughness, an elite-end Premier League academy will also have the staff and resources to do a little more work on his upper body strength and his explosiveness. 'He'll definitely play for Ireland, he's that good', says Maguire, 'and he'll definitely go and play at the highest level in football in England.'
Irish Independent
7 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Daniel McDonnell: Drogheda's European pain will linger as Ben Boycott ponders multi-club future
United co-chairman admits internal confidence around navigating Uefa's ownership rules were 'misplaced' but resolves to fix 'bump in the road' It was late Monday morning in Birmingham, Alabama when Ben Boycott, the co-chairman of Drogheda United, learned the crushing news that the club's European campaign was over before it had started. He immediately booked a flight to Ireland and told his wife he was going to be away until the weekend. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) hearing that confirmed Drogheda's fate, by standing over Uefa's decision to expel them from the Europa Conference League, may have been a six-hour virtual affair with scratchy connectivity, but Boycott knew the fall-out needed to be handled face to face.
