Owen Elding sparks dramatic comeback as Sligo Rovers come from two goals down to draw with Drogheda Utd

The Irish Sun

02-05-2025

OWEN ELDING inspired a Sligo Rovers fightback in a draw against Drogheda United at the Showgrounds.
The Boynesiders fell off top spot with their point after they led 2-0 just past the hour.
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Sligo Rovers came from 2-0 down with Drogheda Utd
Kevin Doherty's men were in the ascendancy courtesy of goals either side of half-time from the boots of Conor Keeley and Thomas Oluwa.
But an Elding strike in the 67th minute and an OG from James Bolger six minutes later denied the visitors all three points on the road.
Rovers boss John Russell included Connor Malley in his starting XI for the first time in four games.
Striker Wilson Waweru was also named on the bench having returned from a serious Achilles injury which kept him out since last September.
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United gaffer Doherty brought both Elicha Ahui and Paul Doyle back having missed the defeat to Galway.
Drogs had the better of the first-half exchanges against a vulnerable Rovers rearguard.
And despite being forced into a reshuffle because of an early injury to midfielder Doyle, the FAI Cup holders looked the far more convincing side.
Rovers captain John Mahon did just enough to take the ball off the toe of Oluwa after the imposing attacker fended off three Sligo defenders on his way to goal. Andrew Quinn's header from a Shane Farrell corner was then claimed by Sligo keeper Sam Sargeant minutes later.
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The hosts did have a small purple patch in this half.
Elding, whose father Anthony scored the winner in the epic 2013 Cup decider between these clubs, fired wide on the quarter hour as Drogheda failed to clear a Jake Doyle-Hayes set-piece.
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The ball then squirmed away from Cian Kavanagh after Elding's shot was parried by Luke Dennison towards the Sligo centre-forward.
The Co Louth side controlled proceedings from here and took the lead before the half hour.
Sligo had been warned four minutes earlier when Keeley's header across the face of goal was nodded over by the unmarked Bolger.
Drogheda arrived again and were more clinical on this occasion when Quinn knocked a Farrell free-kick back across to Keeley who fired his fourth goal of the season beyond Sargeant.
Chasing the game, Rovers fashioned chances through Malley early in the second period.
The first was simple for Dennison to deal with but the second had the California-born stopper scrambling to clear the ball from under his crossbar.
Making the most of their opportunities, Drogheda had their second on 63 when Mahon misjudged the pace of a Warren Davis cross, allowing Oluwa to apply a simple finish.
Not lying down however, Russell's men struck back just four minutes later.
Will Fitzgerald picked out Elding from the end line with the striker firing into an empty net from close range for his sixth goal of the year. Incredibly, this game was level six minutes later when United's Bolger turned Sligo substitute Francely Lomboto's ball into his own net.
And there was drama in this one right to the death.
Bolger hit the post from a Farrell cross 90 seconds from the end of normal time.
And Fitzgerald's long-range drive at the far end then whistled just wide in the sixth minute of added time.
SUN STAR MAN
Owen Elding (Sligo Rovers)
SLIGO ROVERS
: Sargeant 6; Reynolds 7 (Lintott 60, 6), McElroy 7, Mahon 5, Hutchinson 5; Malley 6 (Wolfe 87, 6), Doyle-Hayes 6; Fitzgerald 6, Hakiki 6 (Lomboto h-t, 6), Elding 7; Kavanagh 5 (Mallon 69, 6).
DROGHEDA UNITED
: Dennison 6; Ahui 6 (Lambe 68, 6), Quinn 6, Bolger 6, Keeley 7, Kane 6; Doyle 6 (Brennan 5, 7), Farrell 7; Markey 6 (Heeney 75, 6); Oluwa 7, Davis 6 (James-Taylor 68, 6).
REFEREE
: P Norton (Dublin) 6.