Airtricity Premier Division: Shelbourne 2 Drogheda United 1
Shelbourne do not make it easy for themselves. A night that at one point seemed calm and straightforward as far as the title-seekers were concerned, grew increasingly tense as Drogheda United reminded Shels that leagues are won and fought for, not just handed out.
Leading 2-0 after 55 minutes, through goals from Sean Boyd and Rayhaan Tulloch, Damien Duff’s players seemed to have taken the step that might make them champions for the first time since 2006. Tolka Park was as about as relaxed as it could be.
But then Bridel Bosakani, a 20-year-old making his league debut for Drogs, changed the entire feeling inside the old ground, which celebrates its centenary this weekend. Bosakani scored a beauty and it confirmed Drogheda’s second-half surge after a limited opening 45 minutes.
The game and the mood became fraught with Shels knowing one error could alter their whole season’s work. There were groans when four minutes was shown at the end of the 90.
But JJ Lunney took the sting out of some of the midfield angst with a couple of solid tackles and simple passes and when Harry Wood raced to the corner late on, Shelbourne had done what Shelbourne had to do. Now they wait on Shamrock Rovers’ trip to Dundalk on Sunday evening. Shels could be league winners then, or have to go to Derry City next Friday and win again.
Derry are out of the title race and have a Cup final to think about. But then so do Drogheda and that did not quell them.
Boyd getting his eleventh league goal of the season in the 11th minute could be called a perfect start. Yet before then Liam Burt had been in good shooting positions and missed narrowly.
So it could have been better, though no one in red was complaining when Burt’s deft flick sent Boyd clear on the halfway line. The goal came from Drogheda’s first real moment of pressure, a free-kick at which numbers had been thrown forward. But the ball was cleared by Tulloch and met by Burt.
Boyd was suddenly free, but he had to show speed and composure to stay clear and then lift the ball beyond Luke Dennison.
Any Shelbourne nerves were eased. Drogheda were competitive without stretching the hosts and Burt was close again on 25 minutes followed by a Sean Gannon chance on 30.
There was a level of home control without total domination but a most satisfactory half was reaching its conclusion when happy murmurs, then shouts in the crowd told all that St Pat’s had taken the lead against Derry. “We are top of the league,” was the chant.
As Duff sprinted across Tolka to be the first in the dressingroom, the buoyant mood continued during the break with an appearance from Shelbourne’s women’s team, who won the Cup final last Sunday. They received a deserved ovation.
But it was close to being punctured two minutes after the restart when Drogs upped the tempo and Shelbourne’s defence briefly stumbled. Luke Heeney had a dangerous effort and Douglas James-Taylor forced a first save from Conor Kearns.
A first flush of anxiety was felt by the home fans. But then Kearns walloped a clearance over the visitors’ back line and Gannon was charging into the area. He was stopped but Boyd was there to help and his cross was met smartly by Tulloch.
That was surely that. Only it wasn’t. Drogheda kept going and Bosakani, just on but instantly lively, collected the ball 20 yards out and bent a beautiful curling shot over Kearns. The tension continued right to the end of those four added minutes.
SHELBOURNE: Kearns; Gannon, Barrett, Ledwidge, Wilson; Caffrey (O’Sulliban 90 mins), Lunney; Burt (Coote 72), Martin (O’Brien 65), Tulloch (Wood 72); Boyd.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Dennison; Ahui (O’Brien 57 mins), Quinn, Keaney, Bolger (Harper-Bailey 57), McNally (Cailloce 74); Heeney, Deegan; Markey (Davis HT), Foley, James-Taylor (Bosakani 57).
Referee: N Doyle.
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