Stewart grabs a brace as Shamrock Rovers prove too good for Drogheda again

Shamrock Rovers 3 Drogheda United 1

Gary McCabe scored a terrific goal to help reignite Shamrock Rovers' Europa League qualification hopes via the league.

With Derry City going down to defeat at Dalymount Park to Bohemians, Rovers capitalised to cut the points deficit on the Brandywell outfit to three points, though City still have a game in hand on the Hoops.

Winger McCabe, who’d been guilty of two earlier misses as well as hitting the woodwork, struck to restore Rovers’ lead on 63 minutes.

Picked out by left-back Conor Powell, McCabe had time and space to find the top corner from 25 yards despite goalkeeper Gabriel Sava getting a glove to it.

Drogheda might have snatched a scarcely deserved second equaliser on 86 minutes but substitute Declan O’Brien blazed over from Gavin Brennan’s pull back.

Tommy Stewart then sealed the win in stoppage time, scooping home his second goal of the night after Mark Quigley had saved from Sava.

Rovers took the lead on 23 minutes. Sava spilled a fiercely struck low drive from Powell and Stewart pounced to fire home. Drogheda levelled totally against the run of play, on 35 minutes, Gavin Brennan cutting inside Pat Sullivan before firing home.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Sullivan, Foran, Oman, Powell; O'Connor (Sheppard, 69), Ryan, Robinson, Dennehy (Quigley, 86); McCabe; Stewart.
DROGHEDA UTD: Sava; Daly, McNally, Grimes, Hand; Cassidy, Foley, O'Conor (R. Brennan, 61), Holohan (Brady, half-time), G Brennan; Rusk (O'Brien, 71).
Referee: Paul Tuite (Dublin).