Drogheda United ... 0 St Patrick's Athletic ... 0: The win proved just too much for a plucky Drogheda United side who had to settle for a point at O2 Park. In difficult conditions this was a scrappy affair in which Drogheda threw everything at the visitors in the closing minutes in search of a priceless winner. Substitute Mark Quinless twice spurned good opportunities of securing the win in those final minutes as a goal eluded United.
The first half only came to life with half an hour gone when Michael Holt cracked his shot off the Drogheda post. The play swung to the other end immediately when Stuart Taylor's shot was turned round the post by defender Trevor Croly with his goalkeeper beaten.
With 33 minutes gone Paul Donnelly had only Drogheda goalkeeper Neil Bennett to beat but drove over from 12 yards.
Quinless should have won it for Drogheda with just seven minutes remaining when he pulled his close-range strike wide from a good position.
Drogheda, pushing for the winner, were caught short at the back a minute from time. But a tremendous double save by goalkeeper Bennett in quick succession at the feet of Ger McCarthy and then Charles Livingston kept them in it.
A minute into additional time Quinless again spurned the chance of glory when he somehow managed to graze the bar from 12 yards out.
DROGHEDA: Bennett; O'Connor, Gray, Lynch, Todd, Kelly, Tierney (Gallagher 77), Taylor (Cronin 52), Delaney (Quinless 31), Myler, Dempsey.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Kelly S; Croly, Casey, Donnelly, Harris, Foley, Osam, Holt (Griffin 66), Doyle (McCarthy 63), Kelly L (Livingston 87), Bird.
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).
