Sligo rally to knock Drogheda off the summit

RTÉ News​

02-05-2025

Drogheda United fell from the 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 courtesy of goals either side of half time from the boots of Conor Keeley and Thomas Oluwa. An Owen Elding goal on 67 minutes and a Conor Kane own goal shortly after saw Rovers level the tie and topple Drogs from top spot.
Rovers boss John Russell included Connor Malley in his starting eleven for the first time in four games, the ex-Dundalk general the home side's only change from the draw with Cork City last Saturday.
Striker Wilson Waweru was named on the bench having returned from a serious Achilles injury which kept him out since last September, while United manager Kevin Doherty brought both Elicha Ahui and Paul Doyle back having missed the defeat to Galway.
Drogs certainly had the better of the first-half exchanges against a vulnerable looking Rovers rearguard. Despite being forced into a re-shuffle because of an early injury to midfielder Doyle, the FAI Cup holders looked the far more convincing side in the opening 45 minutes.
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 Sligo goalkeeper Sam Sargeant minutes later.
The hosts then enjoyed a small purple. Elding, whose father Anthony scored the winner in the epic 2013 cup decider between these clubs, fired wide on the quarter hour after Drogheda failed to clear a Jake Doyle-Hayes set piece. 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.
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, an overhead effort, had the California born stopper scrambling to clear the ball from under his crossbar.
Making the most of their opportunities, Drogheda had their second just after the hour mark 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 in the 67th minute when 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.
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, while Fitzgerald's long-range drive at the far end whistled just wide in the sixth minute of added time.
Sligo Rovers: Sam Sargeant; Conor Reynolds (Harvey Lintott 60), Gareth McElroy, John Mahon, Reece Hutchinson; Connor Malley (Matty Wolfe 87), Jake Doyle-Hayes; Will Fitzgerald, Jad Hakiki (Francely Lomboto HT), Owen Elding; Cian Kavanagh (Stephen Mallon 69).
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Elicha Ahui (Owen Lambe 68), Andy Quinn, James Bolger, Conor Keeley, Conor Kane; Paul Doyle (Ryan Brennan 5), Shane Farrell; Darragh Markey (Luke Heeney 75); Thomas Oluwa, Warren Davis (Douglas James-Taylor 68).