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Irish Examiner
a day ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Dennison stands tall as Drogheda hold St Pat's
SSE Airtricity Premier Division: St Patrick's Athletic 0 Drogheda 0 Luke Dennison and his defence proved unbeatable as Drogheda United played out a third scoreless draw of the season with St Patrick's Athletic. The American goalkeeper saved a first half penalty from Mason Melia before denying Simon Power with another fine stop in the second half. Though they drop to third place in the table, Kevin Doherty's side stretch their unbeaten run to five games ahead of a big day on Monday when the club go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the hope of gaining re-entry to the UEFA Conference league prior to hosting Shamrock Rovers that night. St Pat's remain in fourth spot. Drogheda settled the better, forcing three successive corners before having the first sight of goal on 15 minutes. In a swift counter, Warren Davis worked a neat one-two with Douglas James-Taylor to work Joseph Anang. St Pat's responded with their first attack of note, centre-back Tom Grivosti glancing a header inches wide from a Jay McClelland corner before they really should have been in front from a 23rd-minute penalty. Having nicked the ball off McClelland in tracking back, James-Taylor accidentally stood on the ankle of Kian Leavy just inside the area. Melia stepped up from 12 yards, but his effort was well saved by Dennison diving to his left. The Saints were screaming for a second penalty minutes later when a combination of Dennison and George Cooper collided with Melia. Drogheda then had a fair shout for a spot kick of their own ignored just past the half hour when Davis appeared to be bundled over by Ryan McLaughlin. The game opened up on the resumption with the sides swapping early chances. Drogheda were first up with skipper Ryan Brennan surging forward to pick out James-Taylor who swivelled to shoot narrowly wide. A McClelland cross then caught Drogheda square at the back, though Elbouzedi, despite having time and space, shot straight at Dennison. But Dennison was there again to make his second telling stop of the night when diving to his right to clasp Power's header. Leavy then hit a post in a right scramble in the visitors' area. But defending defiantly, they always remained in the game with James-Taylor bringing a tip-over save from Anang late on. St Patrick's Athletic: Anang; McLaughlin, Redmond, Grivosti, Breslin; Lennon, McClelland; Elbouzedi (Mulraney, 61), Leavy (Kavanagh, 68), Power (Carty, 88); Melia (Keena, 68). Drogheda United: Dennison; Quinn, Keeley, Cooper; Lambe, Heeney (Farrell, 56), Brennan, Kane (Cruise, 64); Markey; Davis (Oluwa 56), James-Taylor. Referee: Kevin O'Sullivan.
The Irish Sun
26-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Drogheda United boss Kevin Doherty desperate to keep on loan star – but ace sounds less keen
KEVIN DOHERTY is hopeful of being able to keep Douglas James-Taylor at Drogheda United beyond next month. But the striker admitted he is unsure of his future with his parent club Walsall, who are in the League Two play-off final against Wimbledon this afternoon. 2 The 23-year-old has impressed with the Louth outfit 2 The Drogheda United manager is very keen for him to stay put James-Taylor has made a big impact after joining Drogheda — like Walsall, owned by the Trivela Group — on a year-long loan last summer. He scored 13 goals — including one in their FAI Cup final triumph — and provided four assists in 20 appearances as the Boynesiders maintained their top-flight status in a play-off. His impact this term has been curtailed by a quad injury with his winning penalty against Bohemians on Friday his first goal of 2025. But boss Doherty is in no doubt about the forward's importance to his side. Read more about Irish Football He said: 'We'll be talking about it soon. He showed there how good he is. Dougie has been great now for a year for us." 'I'd be hopeful that he'd continue to be brilliant for us.' James-Taylor seemed a little less certain about what the future holds, aware that what division the Saddlers are in next season could have an influence. He said: 'My loan and contract finishes in July. Who knows what will happen between now and then? They've got some big stuff going on at the moment. I'm fully supportive of them. I'm sure they won't have decided much." Most read in Football 'For them, you go up a league or you stay in the same league. Who knows, who knows?" 'All I've got to do is keep training hard, keep working hard, keep playing to the best of my ability and not really think about that." Roy Keane smirks live on TV before responding to Ruben Amorim's claim that the 'good days are coming' for Man Utd 'I've not thought about anything to be honest. I'm signed to Walsall now. They're the same owners. It's a tricky one because it's the same conversation with the same people but with two different clubs." 'But what I would say is that I've loved my time here, I've loved every minute and I think you can see that on the pitch so who knows?' The former Stoke City striker has clocked up 48 league appearances for Walsall, but only ten of them as a starter, and has relished more regular football here before injury struck. He said: 'It was a weird one because I felt incredible. Going into that pre-season I felt the best I had ever felt coming off the back of consistently playing." 'And then getting that injury was frustrating but then the physios, people in England, Walsall, back home, everyone just came together and supported me in every single way." 'For example, I was getting regular check-ups which, mentally, was massive for me because it meant that I knew the little goals I could set myself along those 12 weeks to reach for, to push myself every day, even though I wasn't playing." 'It kept me focused. I'm just really thankful for everyone who got me into this position.' GOING WELL Their win over Bohs moved them into second place and they have already won as many games — seven — at the midway point than they did in all of last season. James-Taylor said: 'We all know nothing is won at halfway, you don't get anything for being there at halfway, but where we've come from as a team since last season is really far." 'We know it keeps flipping because it's a competitive league and everywhere you go is going to be a tough game, whether that's the bottom of the league, the top of the league, you know you have to be at it." "And I'd say just get Waterford done on Friday, regroup, a week off, but the standards have to go even higher and keep pushing on even more.' The frontman was chuffed with how Drogheda ground out their win over Bohs. James-Taylor said: 'Sometimes it can be easy to think, say, if we're not switching the ball loads of times before we go direct to goal that it's out of our hands but, with our defensive shape, sometimes we don't even need the ball, we can just show them into an area and create something that way." 'I think Friday was a show of complete teamwork, doing things for the man beside you when he can't do it and the next man comes out.'
Irish Examiner
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
James-Taylor penalty lifts Drogs above Bohs
Drogheda United's Douglas James-Taylor scored a very long-awaited first goal of the season from the penalty spot to help his side best Bohemians on the pitch and climb above them in a Premier Division table that remains as congested as ever towards the summit. A serious thigh injury had robbed Drogheda of their star striker for much of the campaign but he is back now and Kevin Doherty will desperately hope they can hold onto him beyond this summer. Six victories in their last seven matches have seen Bohs shed the inconsistency of the early campaign and begin to pose a more credible threat towards the business end of the Premier Division table. With that, expectations begin to rise and they are almost always sky high at Dalymount Park in any case. However, Alan Reynolds's outfit arrived at fortress Sullivan & Lambe Park – Drogheda have only lost at home twice in their last 17 league games, both to Shamrock Rovers – without a draw yet this season. Drogheda, for their part, have been draw specialists in recent times. No team had drawn more than their eight in 17 matches this term. There would be a winner, however. James-Taylor, a talisman of last season's cup winning side but without a goal this year as he works his way back to full fitness following that lengthy injury absence, had United's best opportunities of the first half. He twice made Kacper Chorazka work with fierce drives and Drogs supporters will note with glee that, goal aside, his contributions are improving with every passing game. It was the visitors who went closest though before the interval. From Dawson Devoy's cross, Dayle Rooney's header had goalkeeper Luke Dennison beaten, despite a full stretch dive, but bounced off the post in any case. There was significant League of Ireland representation in Jim Crawford's latest Republic of Ireland Under 21 squad named this week with six current domestic based players and a further 10 who have come through the system here. Two of those – Bohs's Sean Grehan and Drogheda's Warren Davis – were in direct combat by the Boyne. James-Taylor, the on-loan Walsall striker, had his moment when Grehan fouled Conor Keeley in the penalty area. He made no mistake from 12 yards, blasting his penalty kick high into the net. Late in the game, Bohs cranked up the pressure but Drogheda withstood the heat. They were fortunate when Colm Whelan's shot crashed off the bar but then Dennison produced a double save to deny substitutes Hugh Smith and Archie Meekison. DROGHEDA UNITED: Dennison; Ahui, Keeley, Quinn; Lambe, Brennan (Markey, 55), Heeney, Kane; Farrell; James-Taylor (Cruise, 87), Davis (Oluwa, 69). BOHEMIANS: Chorazka; Morahan (Meekison, 83), Grehan, Cornwall (Brennan, 71), Flores; McDonnell (Buckley, 71), Devoy; Tierney, Clarke (Smith, 83), Rooney; Whelan. Referee: Declan Toland
Irish Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
How the League of Ireland helped one man recover from Man City's rejection
Douglas James-Taylor says the difference between Drogheda's self-belief now and 12 months ago is like night and day. When the club's star striker joined the Drogs a year ago they were bottom of the pile. Now they are top, having also won the FAI Cup in November. And DJT insists they have no intention of giving up top spot without a fight. Read more: Stephen Bradley's latest comments could spark a fresh manager row as Damien Duff tensions simmer Read more: Underdogs Drogheda United beginning to believe they belong at the top He said: 'Our win on Monday was so good to get because we deserved it for our performance and also our character. 'Even when it went to 2-2, we never stopped believing we could get something. That shows you the level of spirit we have.' And it took time to build. This time last year they were fighting a relegation battle but James-Taylor's arrival, along with four other mid-season signings, changed the course of their season. James-Taylor says: 'A lot of boys have improved since. Morale was very low which is natural because you have not had that stimulus yet of winning. All sorts of different things can come into it. We got on a roll. Look where it has taken us.' Specifically it has taken a team from bottom to top. But looking beneath the surface it has also allowed players to tell a redemption story because everyone of this Drogheda squad has known setbacks in their personal history. And James-Taylor is no different. As a kid he was on Manchester City's books. Then they let him go. Plus there were the injuries, the torn ACL he suffered as a teenager, the injury that kept him out of the first 12 games of this season. James-Taylor said: 'I have had loads of setbacks in football; injuries, rejection from clubs. 'Three years at Manchester City ended without a contract and when you are young it feels like the end of the world. It was difficult, the emotion, the frustration of it all. Then it was my family who brought me through the hard times.' But more recently he has tapped into meditation and mindfulness techniques to control his emotions. He says: 'I have learned that appreciating small things matter in life. 'I now try to do the right things and then separate those from the pressure you put on yourself. That (internal) pressure can be the most crushing thing you experience because every time you go out to train, or go out to play, it forms an anxiety that means you don't play to your potential. 'No matter how well you have trained or prepared, when you have that pressure on the outcome especially, rather than on the performance, it can be quite crushing when things don't go your way. 'So going from outcome focused to process focused has been a big change in my football. Rather than put the pressure on yourself for the outcome, use the policy of focusing on small jobs to build your confidence, to know you have prepared.' Helping him feel better about himself is the culture at Drogheda where humility and hard work rhyme. James-Taylor says: 'I feel so good when I am here. You have an unbelievable team. You have the support of the fans. Everyone wants the best for you. Football is a place where it is easy to think of your own way up the ladder. It was easy to come back here. It feels like home.' Out of contract in July, don't rule out the possibility of him staying until the end of the year.
