Drogheda's Luke Dennison saves penalty on night of frustration for Stephen Kenny and St Pat's

Irish Independent

16 hours ago

Drogheda, still reeling at being denied a place in Europe, will be happy with the point that extends their unbeaten run to five games but the home side will rue dropped points in a game they should have won.
A save from visiting keeper Luke Dennison to keep out a Mason Melia penalty on 23 minutes was the defining moment of the game, though American import Dennison went on to make a series of interventions to keep an unconvincing Pat's attack at bay.
To be fair to United, they started well with a series of corner kicks in the first 10 minutes and had the first real chance of the game on 15 minutes when Warren Davis's well-struck curling effort was saved by Joseph Anang.
Pat's had one effort on 18 minutes with Tom Grivosti wide of the target from a header but they should have gone ahead in the 23rd minute. Striker Douglas James-Taylor was doing defensive work as Drogheda defended a set piece but he stood on Kian Leavy in the box and referee Kevin O'Sullivan pointed to the spot. Home fans would have banked on Melia converting, but Dennison dived to his right and pushed the effort away.
The game dipped after all that drama with Simon Power blazing over the only other chance of the half in injury time.
The Saints looked a lot sharper after the restart, though United could have scored the first goal of the game two minutes into the second half when a short-range James-Taylor shot lacked conviction.
Having survived that scare, Pat's took a hold on the game and enjoyed a series of efforts in a five-minute spell. On 48 minutes, Dennison was there to save from a rather weak effort from Zak Elbouzedi, Melia then shot wide and, on 53 minutes, Dennison again frustrated Kenny's men, calmly dealing with a Power header before Leavy saw his shot come off the upright.
Failing to make the most of that string of opportunities seemed to eat away at the Saints' confidence, evident when sub Jake Mulraney fired wide when he was in sight of goal on 65 minutes. They had almost total possession for the last 20 minutes, bar one break from Drogheda when James-Taylor went close and forced a save from Anang.
Even the arrival of four subs, all attacking players, could not carve out the chance they needed with Conor Keeley an immense figure at the back. Drogheda now face a more daunting test, with their European hopes resting on Monday's appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
St Pat's - Anang; McLaughlin, Redmond, Grivosti, Breslin; Lennon, McClelland; Elbouzedi (Mulraney 60), Leavy (Kavanagh 67), Power (Carty 86); Melia (Keena 67).
Drogheda United - Dennison; Quinn, Keeley, Cooper; Lambe, Brennan, Heeney (Farrell 56), Kane (Cruise 63); Markey; Davis (Oluwa 56), James-Taylor.