Drogheda United 2
St Patrick’s Athletic 1
Barry Landy reports from Weavers Park
DROGHEDA UNITED PRODUCED one of the results of the season as Darragh Markey’s 94th minute winner downed St Patrick’s Athletic at Weavers Park.
The Saints four-game winning streak came to an end as the unfancied Drogs claimed three points in the most dramatic fashion possible, as Markey’s injury time winner earned a deserved three points for the strugglers.
The victory sees United leapfrog both Cork City and Sligo Rovers in the table ahead of the midseason break. They sit pretty in seventh now after the last gasp breakaway move in the fourth minute of injury time ended the ball being slotted past Dean Lyness.
Tails were high with hopes of a title tilt growing even more so as the side from Inchicore arrived on the banks of the river Boyne. Since Jon Daly assumed control of first team affairs, his team had won six of seven matches, only losing narrowly to champions Shamrock Rovers in that time.
Their recent record against Drogheda – five straight victories with 15 goals scored in the process – will have as much buoyed them as reminded United of the task in front of them as they sought to bounce back from successive defeats that had dropped them into the relegation playoff position.
In that context, Drogheda’s victory is one of the shocks of the season thus far.
Drogheda took a surprise lead against the league’s in-form outfit when Foley volleyed in a goal of the highest quality. Dayle Rooney’s superb pass was matched by the forward’s first-time volley that arrowed into the net, leaving Dean Lyness wholly beaten.
Paul McLaughlin pointed to the spot when Ryan Brennan tangled with Chris Forrester. The midfielder scored his 10th goal of a fruitful season from the spot to haul St Pat’s level. He is on course to far surpass his best career goalscoring season and in his ninth full season at the club is powering their resurgence under Jon Daly.
While spectators might have expected Pats to step things up after the break, it didn’t transpire that way. Freddie Draper forced a save from Dean Lyness, while Foley twice had an opportunity to shoot on goal. Neither attempt came close to matching his earlier effort.
Both Sam Curtis and substitute Eoin Doyle made 17-year-old home debutant Andrew Wogan, work in the second. What seemed Drogheda’s best chance arrived when Dayle Rooney’s top-corner bound effort was tipped over the bar by Lyness.
However, there was time for a dramatic late breakaway with Markey applying the finishing touch.
Drogheda United: Andrew Wogan; Elicha Ahui, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Conor Keeley, Evan Weir; Gary Deegan, Ryan Brennan; Adam Foley (Luke Heeney, 84), Darragh Markey, Dayle Rooney; Freddie Draper.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Dean Lyness; Sam Curtis, Noah Lewis (Harry Brockbank, 79), Jay McGrath, Anto Breslin; Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester, Thijs Timmermans (Adam Murphy, 55); Conor Carty (Mason Melia, 79) , Thomas Lonergan (Eoin Doyle, 64), Mark Doyle (Ben McCormack, 64).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin