THIS WAS A stalemate we all should have saw coming.
Drogheda United and Bohemians picked up where they left off before the international break with yet another draw. That’s now three apiece from their last three games, respectively, although both had their chances to win it.
However, the sight of Drogheda substitute Shane Farrell requiring lengthy treatment by medical staff, leaving the pitch on a stretcher and using an oxygen mask, overshadowed matters on this Good Friday.
It was approaching the end of normal time in the second half when Farrell dropped to the floor after earlier being involved in a challenge with Senan Mullen. It was a concerning sight on a night when Bohs were knocked off the top of the table by St Patrick’s Athletic.
Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty confirmed after the game that the player was taken for tests in hospital and they were happy with his progress after having scans.
This was the first of 12 games for the Gypsies over the next two months and they’ll hope it’s not the start of a dirty dozen. They left here with a point and while there will be some disappointment with that there will also be an element of relief.
You’d never have guessed this Bohs side had yet to fall behind in their eight previous games this season.
They were a rabble during the opening quarter of an hour and, on another night, could easily have trailed 3-0.
They definitely should have been behind when Mark Doyle raced through on goal with just three minutes on the clock. Warren Davis had collected Mullen’s stray attempt at keeping a looping ball in play deep in Drogheda’s half. There was no danger until Davis’ precise pass split the Bohs defence, Doyle’s first touch across Patrick Hickey near the centre circle was sharp but his finish was sloppy, the ball rising above the crossbar.
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Jordan Flores almost conceded a penalty moments later with a late tackle on Davis just outside the box and Brandon Kavanagh’s free was well saved by Kacper Chorazka.
But even the Bohs goalkeeper looked shaky. He miscontrolled one pass in the box and then dropped a cross which Kavanagh had stood up to the back post after slaloming through the box.
It was an easy catch but somehow he fumbled it, and only for James Bolger heading the close range follow up over Bohs would have been punished.
They were blessed on this holy week, but would waste their own chance to rise again before the half was out.
Alan Reynolds watched from the stands as he serves a three-game ban for his part in pre-match fracas with Shelbourne’s David McAllister before the international break.
His side came through that early period unscathed and slowly began to get a foothold. Dawson Devoy, of course, was central in every aspect, although their finish to the half would have provided confidence as well as frustration.
Devoy, like Doyle, raced towards goal in the 42nd after taking Zane Myers’ neat lay-off in his stride. He checked his shoulders as he crossed the halfway line and saw three Drogheda defenders racing in pursuit. He was clever and angled his run across them to either draw a foul or simply keep them at bay. When he eventually shot just inside the box, the covering Edwin Agbaje slid in to make the block.
The Drogheda man understandably celebrated the moment, yet in the second minute of first-half injury time he offered up a glorious chance to Colm Whelan when he scuffed his attempt at a back pass just in front of the centre circle in his own half.
Luke Dennison was well off his line so the Bohs striker could have attempted a chip if he was more confident – his last goal was against Shamrock Rovers on 27 February.
Instead, he drove towards goal but with each stride he looked less assured and by the time he got the shot away the Drogheda goalkeeper and closed the angle and blocked the effort with his body.
Ross Tierney screamed from the left as he arrived in support but he had not made up enough ground to justify the square pass.
That tension and frustration lingered among all of the 2,554 fans as the second half wore on. By the time Farrell replaced Kavanagh on 71 minutes, though, the home side were in the ascendancy.
Doyle had a scrambled effort in the six-yard box cleared off the line while Conor Keeley forced Chorazka into a decent save with a header.
Yellow cards in quick succession for Devoy, Tierney, and centre back Sam Todd also hinted at the growing unease in the Bohs ranks.
The final stages were disrupted in worrying circumstances as Farrell required treatment, referee Paul Norton acting swiftly to usher both sets of medical staff onto the pitch with around 87 minutes on the clock. He was brought straight to hospital.
Bohs pushed in stoppage time, Warren Davis making a superb close-range tackle on Myers to secure the point that leaves nobody really satisfied. Roll on Monday.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Edwin Agbaje, James Bolger, Conor Keeley (captain), Andrew Quinn, Conor Kane; Jago Godden, Ethan O’Brien; Brandon Kavanagh (Shane Farrell 71) (Ryan Brennan 90+3), Warren Davis; Mark Doyle (Thomas Oluwa 84).
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Darragh Power, Patrick Hickey, Sam Todd, Senan Mullen (Sadou Diallo 83); Jordan Flores, Adam McDonnell (Connor Parsons 78); Zane Myers, Dawson Devoy (captain), Ross Tierney (Harry Vaughan 83); Colm Whelan.
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Drogheda and Bohemians pick up where they left off with third draw in a row
Drogheda United 0
Bohemians 0
THIS WAS A stalemate we all should have saw coming.
Drogheda United and Bohemians picked up where they left off before the international break with yet another draw. That’s now three apiece from their last three games, respectively, although both had their chances to win it.
However, the sight of Drogheda substitute Shane Farrell requiring lengthy treatment by medical staff, leaving the pitch on a stretcher and using an oxygen mask, overshadowed matters on this Good Friday.
It was approaching the end of normal time in the second half when Farrell dropped to the floor after earlier being involved in a challenge with Senan Mullen. It was a concerning sight on a night when Bohs were knocked off the top of the table by St Patrick’s Athletic.
Drogheda manager Kevin Doherty confirmed after the game that the player was taken for tests in hospital and they were happy with his progress after having scans.
This was the first of 12 games for the Gypsies over the next two months and they’ll hope it’s not the start of a dirty dozen. They left here with a point and while there will be some disappointment with that there will also be an element of relief.
You’d never have guessed this Bohs side had yet to fall behind in their eight previous games this season.
They were a rabble during the opening quarter of an hour and, on another night, could easily have trailed 3-0.
They definitely should have been behind when Mark Doyle raced through on goal with just three minutes on the clock. Warren Davis had collected Mullen’s stray attempt at keeping a looping ball in play deep in Drogheda’s half. There was no danger until Davis’ precise pass split the Bohs defence, Doyle’s first touch across Patrick Hickey near the centre circle was sharp but his finish was sloppy, the ball rising above the crossbar.
Jordan Flores almost conceded a penalty moments later with a late tackle on Davis just outside the box and Brandon Kavanagh’s free was well saved by Kacper Chorazka.
But even the Bohs goalkeeper looked shaky. He miscontrolled one pass in the box and then dropped a cross which Kavanagh had stood up to the back post after slaloming through the box.
It was an easy catch but somehow he fumbled it, and only for James Bolger heading the close range follow up over Bohs would have been punished.
They were blessed on this holy week, but would waste their own chance to rise again before the half was out.
Alan Reynolds watched from the stands as he serves a three-game ban for his part in pre-match fracas with Shelbourne’s David McAllister before the international break.
His side came through that early period unscathed and slowly began to get a foothold. Dawson Devoy, of course, was central in every aspect, although their finish to the half would have provided confidence as well as frustration.
Devoy, like Doyle, raced towards goal in the 42nd after taking Zane Myers’ neat lay-off in his stride. He checked his shoulders as he crossed the halfway line and saw three Drogheda defenders racing in pursuit. He was clever and angled his run across them to either draw a foul or simply keep them at bay. When he eventually shot just inside the box, the covering Edwin Agbaje slid in to make the block.
The Drogheda man understandably celebrated the moment, yet in the second minute of first-half injury time he offered up a glorious chance to Colm Whelan when he scuffed his attempt at a back pass just in front of the centre circle in his own half.
Luke Dennison was well off his line so the Bohs striker could have attempted a chip if he was more confident – his last goal was against Shamrock Rovers on 27 February.
Instead, he drove towards goal but with each stride he looked less assured and by the time he got the shot away the Drogheda goalkeeper and closed the angle and blocked the effort with his body.
Ross Tierney screamed from the left as he arrived in support but he had not made up enough ground to justify the square pass.
That tension and frustration lingered among all of the 2,554 fans as the second half wore on. By the time Farrell replaced Kavanagh on 71 minutes, though, the home side were in the ascendancy.
Doyle had a scrambled effort in the six-yard box cleared off the line while Conor Keeley forced Chorazka into a decent save with a header.
Yellow cards in quick succession for Devoy, Tierney, and centre back Sam Todd also hinted at the growing unease in the Bohs ranks.
The final stages were disrupted in worrying circumstances as Farrell required treatment, referee Paul Norton acting swiftly to usher both sets of medical staff onto the pitch with around 87 minutes on the clock. He was brought straight to hospital.
Bohs pushed in stoppage time, Warren Davis making a superb close-range tackle on Myers to secure the point that leaves nobody really satisfied. Roll on Monday.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Edwin Agbaje, James Bolger, Conor Keeley (captain), Andrew Quinn, Conor Kane; Jago Godden, Ethan O’Brien; Brandon Kavanagh (Shane Farrell 71) (Ryan Brennan 90+3), Warren Davis; Mark Doyle (Thomas Oluwa 84).
Bohemians: Kacper Chorazka; Darragh Power, Patrick Hickey, Sam Todd, Senan Mullen (Sadou Diallo 83); Jordan Flores, Adam McDonnell (Connor Parsons 78); Zane Myers, Dawson Devoy (captain), Ross Tierney (Harry Vaughan 83); Colm Whelan.
Referee: Paul Norton.
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