Drogheda in a tailspin as Shamrock Rovers take the spoils

Drogheda United 2
Shamrock Rovers 3

Drogheda United’s recent tailspin continued at United Park last night as a fortunate Shamrock Rovers consigned the home side to their fourth consecutive league defeat.

The visitors started brightly and took the lead on 11 minutes when Ronan Finn fired a rasping shot from 20 yards past Drogheda keeper David Ryan.

This stung United into action, and they should have levelled on 13 minutes when Gary O’Neill could only head over from eight yards.

Drogheda continued to apply pressure, and were rewarded with a penalty on 21 minutes when O'Neill was brought down by Rovers' captain Conor Kenna just inside the box. Brennan stepped up and converted his spot-kick.

Rovers took the lead again six minutes into the second- half when Zayed headed powerfully home from 12 yards following Simon Madden’s cross from the right.

Ciaran Kilduff appeared to make the game safe on 57 minutes when his scuffed shot bobbled past Ryan into the corner of the net.

Drogheda pressed hard for a lifeline and again hit the bar through Alan McNally’s 81st minute header. That lifeline finally came on 86 minutes, when substitute Philly Hughes found himself unmarked inside the Rovers box and finished to the corner from point-blank range.

Rovers held on for the three points, though Drogheda – much improved from their 4-0 hammering at the hands of St Pats – were well worth at least a point in the end.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Ryan, Daly, Andrews, McNally, Grimes, Brady, McGuigan, Maher (Crowley 81), Brennan, O'Neill, O'Brien (Hughes 74).
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy, Madden, Kenna (Cornwall 74), McGuinness, Heaney (Byrne h-t), Robinson, Finn, McPhail, McCabe (Waters 67), Zayed, Kilduff.
Referee: Padraigh Sutton.