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Irish Independent
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Drogheda United hearts broken by fortuitous Derry City equaliser
DERRY CITY 1 ON the day it emerged that Kevin Doherty had pledged his future to Drogheda United by signing a new contract, his team were on course for just their second win in seven games until a huge slice of ill-fortune struck in the 90th minute. FAI Cup Final star Elicha Ahui was the thorn in Derry City's side again as his first-half strike put the Boynesiders ahead, but the insurance goal just wouldn't come and the visitors stole a point when a speculative shot from Dom Thomas took a big deflection off luckless debutant Scott Brady and nestled in the net past a helpless keeper Luke Dennison. From a position where Drogheda would have climbed back into second place in the table, they ended the night in fifth spot. Derry, the league's in-form team, had arrived at Sullivan & Lambe Park intent on ending a three-game losing streak against the Drogs - including that never-to-be-forgotten cup final - and they nearly hit the front in fortuitous fashion when a mis-hit Liam Boyce effort looped up onto the roof of the net in the sixth minute. The Boynesiders then had a let-off when their marking from a free kick went awry and former Drogs centre-half Hayden Cann was left completely alone in the box, only to steer a header straight at Dennison when he had time to take the ball down. Gradually, Drogheda gained more of a foothold in the game and after some head tennis in the Derry penalty area around the half-hour mark Warren Davis steered a 20-yard volley just wide of the target. The Candystripes wasted another great scoring opportunity on 35 minutes when Gavin Whyte and Michael Duffy created a two-on-one situation, but Whyte failed to release his colleague and Conor Kane somehow got back to dispossess the Northern Ireland international with a timely tackle. Perhaps it was slightly against the run of play, then, when the home side struck in the 41st minute. Owen Lambe forced Derry into conceding a corner kick and it was the wing-back's delivery from the right that was met with a near-post bullet header from Ahui for 1-0. There was a half-chance for Thomas Oluwa in the 44th minute after a Cann error, but the striker opted for a cross instead of a shot and the danger was averted. The third quarter belonged to Drogheda and they will feel this was the period when they should have put the game to bed. Their best chance arrived in the 62nd minute when Ahui chased a seemingly lost cause, came away with the ball from a 50/50 tackle on the right touchline and charged towards goal. The option was there for the Englishman to take a shot, but instead he squared to the supporting Oluwa who took a couple of touches before seeing his goal-bound shot deflected narrowly wide by Kevin Holt. Then, three minutes, later, Douglas James-Taylor released the on-rushing Kane whose brilliant cross from the left reached Oluwa, and his header was tipped over the bar by Brian Maher. With no sign of an equaliser coming, Derry boss Tiernan Lynch had made four changes by the 72nd minute in the hope of salvaging something from the game and his side passed up a great opportunity on 77 minutes when two of his substitutes combined. With Brennan off the field after receiving attention, Paul McMullan whipped a cross into the box and the ball eventually landed at the feet of Patrick Hoban whose mis-hit shot was gathered comfortably by Dennison. At the other end a Brennan effort ricocheted towards sub Brady and he nicely clipped the ball into the path of Oluwa who shot over from 10 yards, but in the last minute of normal time Thomas broke Drogheda's hearts with that fortunate equaliser. Drogheda: Luke Dennison 7; Elicha Ahui 8, Conor Keeley 8, James Bolger 7, Owen Lambe 8, Luke Heeney 7, Ryan Brennan 8, Conor Kane 8; Warren Davis 7 (Bridel Bosakani 88); Thomas Oluwa 7, Douglas James-Taylor 8 (Scott Brady 75, 7). Subs not used: Zishim Bawa, George Cooper, Kieran Cruise, Aaron Harper-Bailey, Dare Kareem, Andrew Quinn, Jack Brady. Derry: Brian Maher 7; Hayden Cann 8, Mark Connolly 8, Kevin Holt 8, Sam Todd 8; Adam O'Reilly 7, Robbie Benson 6, Ciaron Harkin 6 (Danny Mullen 46, 6), Michael Duffy 7 (Paul McMullan 68, 7); Gavin Whyte 6 (Dom Thomas 68, 7), Liam Boyce 7 (Pat Hoban 72, 6). Subs not used: Arlo Doherty, Shane Ferguson, Glenn McCourt, Cead McGrath, Sean Patton. ATTENDANCE: 2,301
The Irish Sun
02-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Owen Elding sparks dramatic comeback as Sligo Rovers come from two goals down to draw with Drogheda Utd
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. 1 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. Read More on League of Ireland 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. Most read in Football 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. Tim Clancy calls on League of Ireland to make drastic change after Cork City boss' clash with referee 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.
