SOCCER LEAGUE OF IRELAND PREMIER DIVISION: Bohemians 1 Drogheda Utd 1:PERHAPS IT'S a sign that your name's on the trophy but as Bohemians stared defeat in the face they somehow managed to conjure up an equaliser right at the death to secure an unlikely point and at the same time break Drogheda hearts.
With the allotted three minutes of additional time complete referee Neil Doyle allowed the game continue and following a third successive Bohemians corner Neale Fenn pounced to rifle the ball home for the equaliser.
It was tough on a Drogheda side who appeared to have done more than enough to humble their more illustrious opponents.
Drogheda began with purpose and almost opened the scoring in the first minute when Brendan McGill’s cross was cleared by Ken Oman only as far as Shane Barrett who fluffed his shot from a very scoreable position.
It took the visitors a little while to find their stride but as soon as they did a goal almost materialised. Jason Byrne was allowed far too much time and space out on the right to whip a cross into the box for Joseph Ndo who pushed the ball only just past the post.
With 26 minutes gone United stretched the visitors defence to the limit when McGill’s deflected cross from the right found Barrett who lifted the ball over goalkeeper Brian Murphy and into the path of McGill who saw his shot cleared from the line by Oman.
A couple of minutes later at the other end Killian Brennan found himself free on the edge of the box but defender Ian Ryan recovered to head Brennan’s goal-bound effort to safety.
Drogheda took the lead on 34 minutes with a very well worked goal which began out on the left. Brian King sent the ball to Robbie Clarke who returned it to King, who on the overlap delivered a perfect pass to James Chambers who drove a superb shot past Murphy to the bottom corner of the net.
Only once before the break did Pat Fenlon’s side threaten to level matters when Paddy Madden met Paul Keegan’s corner, however, his header flew wide.
With the second half eight minutes old Drogheda had a chance to double their advantage when Ryan’s free picked out Connor Kenna who headed the ball down to Barrett but unfortunately the United front man couldn’t direct the ball home.
Within 60 seconds Bohemians were awarded a free 30 yards from goal which Brennan drove towards the top corner but Paul Skinner displayed brilliant agility to push the ball out for a corner.
As the match entered its final 20 minutes Jamie Duffy turned the champions’ defence inside out but his shot left an awful lot to be desired.
Six minutes from time a mighty scramble in the Drogheda box saw the home goal somehow stay intact as a mass of claret and blue shirts somehow prevented the ball from entering the net.
A couple of minutes into stoppage time Brendan McGill grazed the Bohemians bar as the home side scorned an excellent opportunity to seal the win and they ultimately paid the price when Fenn levelled matters in the fourth additional minute.
DROGHEDA: Skinner, Ryan, Clarke, Kenna, McNally, Shiels, McGill, Chambers, Duffy, Barrett (Bates 80), King.
BOHEMIANS: B Murphy, A Murphy (Cronin 66), Powell, Deegan, Shelley, Oman, Keegan, Ndo, Madden (Fenn h/t), Byrne, Brennan.
Referee: N Doyle (Dublin).
