Drogheda United 3
Finn Harps 1
Brendan Graham reports from Head in the Game Park
GOALS FROM MARK Doyle, Darragh Markey and Dan O’Reilly gave Tim Clancy’s Drogheda side another well deserved three points tonight.
A dream start for the visitors saw them take the lead on eight minutes courtesy of Will Seymoure with his first goal for the club.
A rare lapse in concentration from Luke Heeney in the middle of the pitch saw Seymore dispossess the midfielder before spreading the ball left to Foley. A lovely string of passes between Foley, Owalabi and McNamee concluded with a McNamee pass to the edge of the box for Seymore who struck a fantastic effort low and to the right of Odumosu.
Mark Doyle went close with a fantastic chance for Drogheda midway through the first half connecting well with a cross from James Brown at the back of the box only to be denied by Barry McNamee yards from the goal line.
Just moments later and Mark Doyle had his eighth goal of the season, making no mistake on this occasion powering home a headed effort from a corner with the initial ball beating Karl O’Sullivan.
Five minutes before the break Drogheda had the lead. Conceding after just eight minutes was the shot in the arm they needed with an immediate upping off the ante for the remainder of the half.
A neat one two between Lyons and the advancing Deegan allowed Deegan to lay the ball off for Markey on the edge of the box. Markey did brilliantly well to hold onto the ball and get a shot away. McGinley misjudged it completely with the ball nestling into the back of the net to the delight of Markey.
With ten minutes to go Drogheda had their third with Daniel O’Reilly curling a free kick on the edge of the box through the wall and past McGinley in the Harps net. Dane Massey and O’Reilly stood over the ball before Massey rolled the ball sideways and into the path of O’Reilly.
O’Reilly launched his effort towards the wall and with a bit of fortune his shot deflected off Sadiki and past the helpless McGinley in the Harps goal. It was no less than Drogheda deserved who were much the better team from the moment they went behind.
Drogheda United: David Odumosu; Dane Massey, James Brown, Conor Kane, Daniel O’Reilly; Killian Phillips, Darragh Markey, Gary Deegan, Mark Doyle, (Dinny Corcoran 70) Luke Heeney (James Clarke 67); Chris Lyons (Mark Hughes 85).
Finn Harps: Mark McGinley; John Dunleavy, Kosovar Sadiki, Ethan Boyle; Will Seymour, Ryan Rainey, Karl O’Sullivan (Sean Boyd 71), Barry McNamee (Tony McNamee 88), Adam Foley (Luke Rudden 88); Tunde Owolabi (Ryan Connolly 71), Conor Barry (Stephen Doherty 57).