DROGHEDA UNITED BOUNCED back from defeat against Waterford last time out to condemn already relegated Cork City to yet another away league loss and inject fresh hope into their own bid for Uefa Conference League qualification.
United remain firmly in the hunt for a top four finish now, sitting level on points with Bohemians while St Patrick’s Athletic are just a point further back. Drogheda have two games to play, the Dublin clubs three.
Drogheda fans during the game. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Bohs and Pats play each other on Monday so points lost are inevitable. Then, Alan Reynolds’ team visit Sullivan & Lambe Park on the final day. For United on Friday, they did what they had to do. Dispatching Cork at home was a must.
Josh Thomas was the matchwinner with the game’s only goal. A one-nil scoreline hardly reflects Drogs dominance against a Cork side that made five changes from their last outing – the defeat to Shelbourne that confirmed their long-looming relegation.
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With nothing of consequence to play for in their remaining three league fixtures, Ger Nash chose to mix things up with five changes from Monday’s fixture.
Notable among them were the inclusion of 17-year-old former Shamrock Rovers man Brody Lee for his first start in senior football, while fellow teenager Kaedyn Kamara also started. Former Drogheda stopper David Odumosu continued in goal.
Having suffered defeat to Waterford at the RSC last time out, Kevin Doherty’s side came into the game knowing more dropped points against a struggling side would almost certainly put paid to their hopes of a top four finish – and that European qualification
they so crave.
Fourth will only be good enough if Cork City lose the FAI Cup final on 2 November. Shamrock Rovers will provide the sternest of tests. They hardly tested Luke Dennison here, however, and if this was an Aviva Stadium showpiece audition for some, it fell flat.
Cork worked the ball well at times and found themselves in dangerous areas throughout the first half. A genuine lack of quality in the final third proved their undoing. With Ruairi Keating missing and Seani Maguire on the bench, perhaps that is understandable.
Drogs full debutant Jack Stretton flashed a header wide from Owen Lambe’s delivery and had a shot blocked at source by Cork centre-back Fiacre Kelleher in the early stages. Thomas had earlier wasted a glorious opportunity to opening the scoring, but his free
header in the area lacked conviction.
Jack Stretton with City's Fiacre Kelleher. Morgan Treacy / INPHO
Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO
Mercifully for those of a Drogheda persuasion, his chance would come again and this time he made no mistake. Conor Kane delivered from the left and Thomas escaped the attentions of Charlie Lyons to power a header past David Odumosu seconds before the break.
United went very close to adding a second – first through Conor Keeley’s header that was tipped over and then substitute Dare Kareem hit the base of the post with a low shot that rolled across the goalline before it was cleared.
With the game not put beyond the Leesiders, they were visible nerves towards the end of the game in the home section. They held on and their season may still end on a high. The same can be said for Cork but they will need to improve significantly.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; James Bolger (George Cooper, 72), Conor Keeley, Andrew Quinn; Owen Lambe, Shane Farrell (Luke Heeney, 83), Ryan Brennan, Conor Kane; Darragh Markey; Josh Thomas (Warren Davis, 83), Jack Stretton (Dare Kareem, 67).
Cork City: David Odumosu; Rory Feely, Fiacre Kelleher, Charlie Lyons (Freddie Anderson, 46); Darragh Crowley (Joshua Fitzpatrick, 46), Sean Murray, Evan McLaughlin (Alex Nolan, 46), Matthew Kiernan; Kaedyn Kamara; Conor Drinan (Charlie Lutz, 69), Brody Lee (Charlie Hanover, 79).
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Drogheda stay in hunt for top-four finish with win over relegated Cork City
DROGHEDA UNITED BOUNCED back from defeat against Waterford last time out to condemn already relegated Cork City to yet another away league loss and inject fresh hope into their own bid for Uefa Conference League qualification.
United remain firmly in the hunt for a top four finish now, sitting level on points with Bohemians while St Patrick’s Athletic are just a point further back. Drogheda have two games to play, the Dublin clubs three.
Bohs and Pats play each other on Monday so points lost are inevitable. Then, Alan Reynolds’ team visit Sullivan & Lambe Park on the final day. For United on Friday, they did what they had to do. Dispatching Cork at home was a must.
Josh Thomas was the matchwinner with the game’s only goal. A one-nil scoreline hardly reflects Drogs dominance against a Cork side that made five changes from their last outing – the defeat to Shelbourne that confirmed their long-looming relegation.
With nothing of consequence to play for in their remaining three league fixtures, Ger Nash chose to mix things up with five changes from Monday’s fixture.
Notable among them were the inclusion of 17-year-old former Shamrock Rovers man Brody Lee for his first start in senior football, while fellow teenager Kaedyn Kamara also started. Former Drogheda stopper David Odumosu continued in goal.
Having suffered defeat to Waterford at the RSC last time out, Kevin Doherty’s side came into the game knowing more dropped points against a struggling side would almost certainly put paid to their hopes of a top four finish – and that European qualification
they so crave.
Fourth will only be good enough if Cork City lose the FAI Cup final on 2 November. Shamrock Rovers will provide the sternest of tests. They hardly tested Luke Dennison here, however, and if this was an Aviva Stadium showpiece audition for some, it fell flat.
Cork worked the ball well at times and found themselves in dangerous areas throughout the first half. A genuine lack of quality in the final third proved their undoing. With Ruairi Keating missing and Seani Maguire on the bench, perhaps that is understandable.
Drogs full debutant Jack Stretton flashed a header wide from Owen Lambe’s delivery and had a shot blocked at source by Cork centre-back Fiacre Kelleher in the early stages. Thomas had earlier wasted a glorious opportunity to opening the scoring, but his free
header in the area lacked conviction.
Mercifully for those of a Drogheda persuasion, his chance would come again and this time he made no mistake. Conor Kane delivered from the left and Thomas escaped the attentions of Charlie Lyons to power a header past David Odumosu seconds before the break.
United went very close to adding a second – first through Conor Keeley’s header that was tipped over and then substitute Dare Kareem hit the base of the post with a low shot that rolled across the goalline before it was cleared.
With the game not put beyond the Leesiders, they were visible nerves towards the end of the game in the home section. They held on and their season may still end on a high. The same can be said for Cork but they will need to improve significantly.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; James Bolger (George Cooper, 72), Conor Keeley, Andrew Quinn; Owen Lambe, Shane Farrell (Luke Heeney, 83), Ryan Brennan, Conor Kane; Darragh Markey; Josh Thomas (Warren Davis, 83), Jack Stretton (Dare Kareem, 67).
Cork City: David Odumosu; Rory Feely, Fiacre Kelleher, Charlie Lyons (Freddie Anderson, 46); Darragh Crowley (Joshua Fitzpatrick, 46), Sean Murray, Evan McLaughlin (Alex Nolan, 46), Matthew Kiernan; Kaedyn Kamara; Conor Drinan (Charlie Lutz, 69), Brody Lee (Charlie Hanover, 79).
Ref: Marc Lynch
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