HARRY WOOD SCORED his seventh and eighth goals of the campaign at Sullivan & Lambe Park and half of them have come against Drogheda United now, as they played out an entertaining draw by the Boyne.
Drogs boss Kevin Doherty will be especially keen to find a way to stop Shels’ talisman at some point and might rue his side’s inability to clinch it in the end. Ryan Brennan and Brandon Kavanagh both had chances to win the game, especially Brennan who saw a brilliant half-volley fly just over and an injury-time header not trouble Wessel Speel.
Drogheda are now six games without victory now and a win against their old rivals would have been quite the tonic.
Wood’s goals arrived in the 15th and 64th minutes of an absorbing contest that swung this way and that, in red favour and then claret and blue. Either side of those goals, Thomas Oluwa and Mark Doyle found the net for the home team. Both were well taken, pleasing goals.
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Wood’s were fortuitous in truth; the first having taken a deflection off Shane Farrell to beat Drogheda’s returning goalkeeper Luke Dennison and then after the Californian stopper made two fines saves in quick succession, Wood managed to smother the ball over the line in untidy yet timely fashion.
There was plenty of time for Shels to go on and press for a winner at that point but Joey O’Brien’s side remained patient, sometimes ponderous, on the ball and Drogheda could regroup without succumbing to overbearing pressure. United finished stronger and might have won it through Brennan’s half-volley and glancing header, neither of which were on target.
Milan Mbeng supplied the cross for Wood’s opener. On the turn, he spun the defender and his shot flicked off Farrell’s heel to leave the goalkeeper helpless.
Oluwa levelled things up nine minutes later, rising at a corner to plant a header past Speel. Drogheda went in front before the break through Doyle, but his goal owed much to Jason Bucknor – another of Drogs’ three-strong American contingent on the field as their national team were in World Cup action back home.
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The winger started the move deep in his own half and ended it by supplying a perfect cross for Doyle to guide the ball into the far corner.
O’Brien was decisive with his substitutions, replacing the yellow-carded Paddy Barrett at half time and then making a double change six minutes later.
Wood scored their equaliser after Dennison made a brilliant double save – including a fine dive to his right to keep out Ali Coote’s shot. The defence couldn’t clear it and Wood bundled over the line.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Edwin Agbaje, Leo Burney, Conor Keeley, Conor Kane; Ryan Brennan, Shane Farrell (Ethan O’Brien, 75) Jason Bucknor (Dare Kareem, 78), Brandon Kavanagh, Thomas Oluwa; Mark Doyle (Jago Godden, 75).
Shelbourne:Wessel Speel; Sam Bone, Paddy Barrett (James Norris, 46), Kameron Ledwidge; Milan Mbeng, Evan Caffrey, Jonathan Lunney, Will Jarvis (Daniel Kelly, 51) Ali Coote (Sean Moore, 67), Harry Wood (Jack Henry-Francis, 77); Mipo Odubeko (Sean Boyd, 51).
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Drogs and Shels share the points as Harry Wood nicks a draw
Drogheda 2
Shelbourne 2
HARRY WOOD SCORED his seventh and eighth goals of the campaign at Sullivan & Lambe Park and half of them have come against Drogheda United now, as they played out an entertaining draw by the Boyne.
Drogs boss Kevin Doherty will be especially keen to find a way to stop Shels’ talisman at some point and might rue his side’s inability to clinch it in the end. Ryan Brennan and Brandon Kavanagh both had chances to win the game, especially Brennan who saw a brilliant half-volley fly just over and an injury-time header not trouble Wessel Speel.
Drogheda are now six games without victory now and a win against their old rivals would have been quite the tonic.
Wood’s goals arrived in the 15th and 64th minutes of an absorbing contest that swung this way and that, in red favour and then claret and blue. Either side of those goals, Thomas Oluwa and Mark Doyle found the net for the home team. Both were well taken, pleasing goals.
Wood’s were fortuitous in truth; the first having taken a deflection off Shane Farrell to beat Drogheda’s returning goalkeeper Luke Dennison and then after the Californian stopper made two fines saves in quick succession, Wood managed to smother the ball over the line in untidy yet timely fashion.
There was plenty of time for Shels to go on and press for a winner at that point but Joey O’Brien’s side remained patient, sometimes ponderous, on the ball and Drogheda could regroup without succumbing to overbearing pressure. United finished stronger and might have won it through Brennan’s half-volley and glancing header, neither of which were on target.
Milan Mbeng supplied the cross for Wood’s opener. On the turn, he spun the defender and his shot flicked off Farrell’s heel to leave the goalkeeper helpless.
Oluwa levelled things up nine minutes later, rising at a corner to plant a header past Speel. Drogheda went in front before the break through Doyle, but his goal owed much to Jason Bucknor – another of Drogs’ three-strong American contingent on the field as their national team were in World Cup action back home.
The winger started the move deep in his own half and ended it by supplying a perfect cross for Doyle to guide the ball into the far corner.
O’Brien was decisive with his substitutions, replacing the yellow-carded Paddy Barrett at half time and then making a double change six minutes later.
Wood scored their equaliser after Dennison made a brilliant double save – including a fine dive to his right to keep out Ali Coote’s shot. The defence couldn’t clear it and Wood bundled over the line.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Edwin Agbaje, Leo Burney, Conor Keeley, Conor Kane; Ryan Brennan, Shane Farrell (Ethan O’Brien, 75) Jason Bucknor (Dare Kareem, 78), Brandon Kavanagh, Thomas Oluwa; Mark Doyle (Jago Godden, 75).
Shelbourne: Wessel Speel; Sam Bone, Paddy Barrett (James Norris, 46), Kameron Ledwidge; Milan Mbeng, Evan Caffrey, Jonathan Lunney, Will Jarvis (Daniel Kelly, 51) Ali Coote (Sean Moore, 67), Harry Wood (Jack Henry-Francis, 77); Mipo Odubeko (Sean Boyd, 51).
Referee: Arnold Hunter
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Draw honours even LOI Soccer