Two second half goals seals share of the spoils for Sligo as Drogheda drop into second

Irish Examiner

02-05-2025

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Sligo Rovers 2 (Elding 67', Bolger 72' (OG)) Drogheda Utd 2 (Keeley 28', Oluwa 63')
Drogheda United are no longer top of the Premier Division table after Sligo Rovers struck twice in the space of six second half minutes to claw back a two goal deficit at the Showgrounds.
Now with just one win in their last five, United led this game by two courtesy of goals either side of half time from the boots of Conor Keeley and Thomas Oluwa. But an Owen Elding goal on 67 and a Conor Kane own goal on 73 saw Rovers level the tie and topple Drogs from the summit.
Despite being forced into a re-shuffle because of an early injury to midfielder Paul Doyle, the FAI Cup holders looked the far more convincing side in the first 45.
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. While Andrew Quinn's free header from a Shane Farrell corner was claimed by Rovers goalkeeper Sam Sargeant minutes later.
The hosts did have a small purple patch in this half. Elding fired wide on the quarter hour after Drogheda failed to clear a Jake Doyle-Hayes set piece. While the ball squirmed away from Cian Kavanagh after Elding's shot was parried by Luke Dennison towards the Sligo centre forward who found himself in front of goal.
The Louthmen controlled proceedings from here until the interval and took the lead on 28 minutes. Sligo had been forewarned four minutes earlier when Keeley's header across the face of goal was headed over by the unmarked James 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.
Drogheda had their second on 63 when Mahon mis-judged the pace of a Warren Davis cross, allowing Oluwa to apply a simple finish.
Not lying down however, John Russell's men struck back on 67 when from the end line, Will Fitzgerald picked out Elding who fired into an empty net from close range for his sixth 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.
Sligo Rovers: S Sargeant; C Reynolds (Lintott 60), G McElroy, J Mahon, R Hutchinson; C Malley (Wolfe 87), J Doyle-Hayes; W Fitzgerald, J Hakiki (Lomboto HT), O Elding; C Kavanagh (Mallon 69).
Drogheda United: L Dennison; E Ahui (Lambe 68), A Quinn, J Bolger, C Keeley, C Kane; P Doyle (Brennan 5), S Farrell; D Markey (Heeney 75); T Oluwa, W Davis (James-Taylor 68).
Referee: P Norton.