THE NIGHT ENDED as it began. The new Oriel Park pitch burned and the Drogheda United fans celebrated.
Dundalk were once again denied victory with a late goal after last week’s draw in Derry,
This point will feel like another defeat given the rivalry.
Conor Keeley’s leap to try and meet Kieran Cruise’s cross in the 88th minute prevented Dundalk goalkeeper Conor Kearns from claiming the high ball. Replays showed the captain got enough of a touch to direct it into the net despite suggestion of a calamitous own goal.
It cancelled out Danny Mullen’s opener and the boos that greeted the goal from the home fans were not because of seeing two points slip away. The sight of several more flares from the 500 away fans in the corner raining down left people fuming.
Drogheda fans will go home happy – still unbeaten and second in the table behind Bohemians – while Dundalk boss Ciaran Kilduff was the first to leave the pitch when the final whistle went after making sure to salute the home faithful.
What was almost a perfect night ended in abrupt disappointment.
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Dundalk's Danny Mullen (left) celebrates after scoring his side's first goal with Daryl Horgan. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
Kilduff set a tone before a ball was kicked.
As the players waited in the tunnel and the sounds of Friday nights for the next eight months echoed around Oriel Park, he emerged onto the new astro turf pitch before anyone else.
As he did so, the Lilywhites’ supporters in the Shed across the other side of the pitch had unfurled a banner over the advertising boards.
‘THEY TALK, THEY ALWAYS TALK, THE TOWN REMAINS.’
A message of pride and defiance while their anthem El Paso was also blared.
This club nearly died before relegation to the First Division was confirmed in 2024. Dundalk were back and how fitting that Drogheda were the first visitors for this derby.
As the 3,819 packed inside realised that Kilduff had emerge on the pitch before anyone else, there was a spontaneous, raucous reaction. Those in the Shed let off some more flares and roared approval.
Kilduff applauded and as he turned to face the other sides of the ground – kids filling the embankment behind the town-end goal – the clinking of seats in the main stand was soon drowned out as the Dundalk faithful stood in union.
They clapped, cheered and and released all that pent up emotion that has been bubbling for a night like this.
There was something else, something intangible but very real and very powerful that made you feel like this was the most important and exciting place to be. Filled with possibility and hope.
And then about 20 flares rained down on Dundalk’s new pitch from the away end. Eighteen burn marks could be made out on the pitch and a couple more around the perimeter. A fire was still burning as the teams kicked off and more raged again at full time.
It’s unclear if Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan was still in attendance by this point. He cut the ribbon to officially unveil the new pitch and floodlights – courtesy of a €500,000 government grand – and did so alongside numerous dignitaries from both clubs.
Joanna Byrne was one of them. The Drogheda United co-chairperson was exactly where you would expect her to be on a night like this, supporting the club she was raised on growing up.
Byrne, also a Sinn Féin TD for Louth, claimed in a statement released earlier this week that she was told her position at the club was untenable because of her public stance that the Republic of Ireland should boycott the Nations League games with Israel.
It was to this backdrop that Mullen curled a tame shot into the hands of Luke Dennison after 12 minutes just as Dundalk fans hung up another banner: Genocide Supporting Drogs.
A Palestine flag was being waved by the away supporters and a banner of their own emerged midway through the half showing their support for Byrne.
They could so easily have been a goal down by that point when brilliant link up play by Eoin Kenny and Gbemi Arubi carved the Drogheda defence open.
Kenny’s inital dummy from Bobby Burns’ pass allowed the ball run through to Arubi. A sharp one two between the pair resulted in the latter having a sight of goal inside the D on the edge of the box but he miscued wide.
It was all either side offered in an attacking sense during those opening 45 minutes, and it took a set-piece to break the deadlock.
Drogs’ boss Kevin Doherty will be sick his side didn’t defend it better. Daryl Horgan’s initial free kick from the left side was deep and cleared towards the edge of the box.
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Keith Buckley, on his home debut after joining from Bohemians, tried his luck with the breaking ball from 20 yards and it was another making his bow in Oriel that capitalised.
Mullen, after that earlier weak shot, producing the most delightful, instinctively deft flick to wrong foot Dennison and send Oriel wild.
The finish was Cruyff-turn like, and with 58 minutes on the clock the rest of the night was about showing their ability to do the right stuff in their own box.
Doherty responded with a triple substitution and it was one of those, Cruise, who delivered that late ball into the box that led to the moment that put a different complexion on this tense night.
Dundalk: Conor Kearns; J.R. Wilson, Vinnie Leonard, Rob Cornwall, Bobby Burns; Keith Buckley, Aodh Dervin (Ronan Teahan 72); Daryl Horgan (Tyreke Wilson 83), Eoin Kenny (Harry Groome 83), Danny Mullen; Gbemi Arubi (Declan McDaid 72)
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Leo Burney, Conor Keeley, Andrew Quinn; Edwin Agbaje (Jason Bucknor 63), Shane Farrell (James Bolger 63), Ethan O’Brien (Ryan Brennan 72), Conor Kane (Kieran Cruise 72); Brandon Kavanagh; Mark Doyle (Fuhad Kareem 63), Thomas Oluwa.
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Flares rain down on new Oriel Park pitch as Drogheda secure late draw with Dundalk
Dundalk 1
Drogheda United 1
THE NIGHT ENDED as it began. The new Oriel Park pitch burned and the Drogheda United fans celebrated.
Dundalk were once again denied victory with a late goal after last week’s draw in Derry,
This point will feel like another defeat given the rivalry.
Conor Keeley’s leap to try and meet Kieran Cruise’s cross in the 88th minute prevented Dundalk goalkeeper Conor Kearns from claiming the high ball. Replays showed the captain got enough of a touch to direct it into the net despite suggestion of a calamitous own goal.
It cancelled out Danny Mullen’s opener and the boos that greeted the goal from the home fans were not because of seeing two points slip away. The sight of several more flares from the 500 away fans in the corner raining down left people fuming.
Drogheda fans will go home happy – still unbeaten and second in the table behind Bohemians – while Dundalk boss Ciaran Kilduff was the first to leave the pitch when the final whistle went after making sure to salute the home faithful.
What was almost a perfect night ended in abrupt disappointment.
Kilduff set a tone before a ball was kicked.
As the players waited in the tunnel and the sounds of Friday nights for the next eight months echoed around Oriel Park, he emerged onto the new astro turf pitch before anyone else.
As he did so, the Lilywhites’ supporters in the Shed across the other side of the pitch had unfurled a banner over the advertising boards.
‘THEY TALK, THEY ALWAYS TALK, THE TOWN REMAINS.’
A message of pride and defiance while their anthem El Paso was also blared.
This club nearly died before relegation to the First Division was confirmed in 2024. Dundalk were back and how fitting that Drogheda were the first visitors for this derby.
As the 3,819 packed inside realised that Kilduff had emerge on the pitch before anyone else, there was a spontaneous, raucous reaction. Those in the Shed let off some more flares and roared approval.
Kilduff applauded and as he turned to face the other sides of the ground – kids filling the embankment behind the town-end goal – the clinking of seats in the main stand was soon drowned out as the Dundalk faithful stood in union.
They clapped, cheered and and released all that pent up emotion that has been bubbling for a night like this.
There was something else, something intangible but very real and very powerful that made you feel like this was the most important and exciting place to be. Filled with possibility and hope.
And then about 20 flares rained down on Dundalk’s new pitch from the away end. Eighteen burn marks could be made out on the pitch and a couple more around the perimeter. A fire was still burning as the teams kicked off and more raged again at full time.
It’s unclear if Minister for Sport Patrick O’Donovan was still in attendance by this point. He cut the ribbon to officially unveil the new pitch and floodlights – courtesy of a €500,000 government grand – and did so alongside numerous dignitaries from both clubs.
Joanna Byrne was one of them. The Drogheda United co-chairperson was exactly where you would expect her to be on a night like this, supporting the club she was raised on growing up.
Byrne, also a Sinn Féin TD for Louth, claimed in a statement released earlier this week that she was told her position at the club was untenable because of her public stance that the Republic of Ireland should boycott the Nations League games with Israel.
It was to this backdrop that Mullen curled a tame shot into the hands of Luke Dennison after 12 minutes just as Dundalk fans hung up another banner: Genocide Supporting Drogs.
A Palestine flag was being waved by the away supporters and a banner of their own emerged midway through the half showing their support for Byrne.
They could so easily have been a goal down by that point when brilliant link up play by Eoin Kenny and Gbemi Arubi carved the Drogheda defence open.
Kenny’s inital dummy from Bobby Burns’ pass allowed the ball run through to Arubi. A sharp one two between the pair resulted in the latter having a sight of goal inside the D on the edge of the box but he miscued wide.
It was all either side offered in an attacking sense during those opening 45 minutes, and it took a set-piece to break the deadlock.
Drogs’ boss Kevin Doherty will be sick his side didn’t defend it better. Daryl Horgan’s initial free kick from the left side was deep and cleared towards the edge of the box.
Keith Buckley, on his home debut after joining from Bohemians, tried his luck with the breaking ball from 20 yards and it was another making his bow in Oriel that capitalised.
Mullen, after that earlier weak shot, producing the most delightful, instinctively deft flick to wrong foot Dennison and send Oriel wild.
The finish was Cruyff-turn like, and with 58 minutes on the clock the rest of the night was about showing their ability to do the right stuff in their own box.
Doherty responded with a triple substitution and it was one of those, Cruise, who delivered that late ball into the box that led to the moment that put a different complexion on this tense night.
Dundalk: Conor Kearns; J.R. Wilson, Vinnie Leonard, Rob Cornwall, Bobby Burns; Keith Buckley, Aodh Dervin (Ronan Teahan 72); Daryl Horgan (Tyreke Wilson 83), Eoin Kenny (Harry Groome 83), Danny Mullen; Gbemi Arubi (Declan McDaid 72)
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; Leo Burney, Conor Keeley, Andrew Quinn; Edwin Agbaje (Jason Bucknor 63), Shane Farrell (James Bolger 63), Ethan O’Brien (Ryan Brennan 72), Conor Kane (Kieran Cruise 72); Brandon Kavanagh; Mark Doyle (Fuhad Kareem 63), Thomas Oluwa.
Referee: Rob Hennessy.
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