Honours even as Shelbourne drop more points at home to Drogheda United

Irish Daily Mirror

19-05-2025

A stalemate and another one for the queue to the treatment table - it was another tough night for reigning champions Shelbourne.
They couldn't find a way past Drogheda United, whose second-half performance perhaps merited more than a point.
But the visitors were thwarted by Shels' substitute goalkeeper Lorcan Healy, whose introduction on the half-hour was necessitated by an injury to Conor Kearns.
Stretching in the 20th minute, the former Galway United man let an Elicha Ahui cross slip through his fingers, and an awkward landing meant he could only hobble, rather than chase after the ball, in his effort to prevent a corner.
Kearns was deemed fit to continue after treatment, but lasted only 10 more minutes before Healy came on to replace him.
Prior to that change, Shels had the best of a handful of goalmouth opportunities. But by the end, it was the visitors who looked more like scoring.
Douglas James-Taylor and substitute Thomas Oluwa both went close, but Healy was equal to their efforts.
Not bad for someone making his Premier Division debut a season-and-a-half into his Shels career.
He looked far sharper than someone with just one FAI Cup appearance to his name since his move from UCD ahead of the 2024 campaign.
Shels' early chance fell to Ellis Chapman, who put his foot through a James Norris knock-down and winced as his goalbound volley was blocked by Elicha Ahui.
The follow-up by Evan Caffrey was nowhere near as well struck - a 20-yarder that the Shels man pulled well wide of goal.
The best of the action was crammed into the time between Kearns' exit and the half-time whistle, with Harry Wood getting on the end of a hat-trick of chances.
He cut across Drogheda defender Andrew Quinn for the first, an outstretched boot in the direction of Tyreke Wilson's cross from the left.
It was the most difficult of his three opportunities and he could only manage to direct the ball a yard wide of the far post.
Next up, he was allowed to advance towards the visiting penalty area.
Accepting the invitation, the hero of Shels' title win in Derry last year let fly, but was thwarted by Drogheda keeper Luke Dennison, who got down quickly to pull the ball into his chest and away from Mipo Odubeko, who was hoping to capitalise on any spill.
The best of Wood's three chances came three minutes before half-time, when he pulled away from Quinn and found himself in space to get on the end of Ellis Chapman's cross.
Unfortunately for the former Hull City man, he fluffed his chance. It was neither a first touch nor a finish, as the ball bounced off his right boot and into the grateful Dennison's hands.
There was more drama inside the five minutes of additional time. Warren Davis went down under a Tyreke Wilson challenge inside the Shels area, but referee Rob Hennessy waved away Drogheda's penalty appeal.
And he did the same moments later at the other end when Odubeko went sprawling inside the visitors' 18-yard box.
Drogheda had the better of the chances after the break, but sub keeper Healy earned his match fee with some fine stops.
He got down well to his left to tip a James-Taylor effort from 20 yards around his post, while the Drogheda striker somehow blazed a free header from the resulting corner high and wide.
A smart turn and shot from inside the Shels box on 84 minutes brought out the best in Healy, and the keeper then made a fine double save to keep out Oluwa and fellow substitute Darragh Markey in quick succession.
Two late chances fell to the hosts, with Ryan O'Kane and Kameron Ledwidge both going close from distance.