Soccer

Drogheda maintain Premier Division status with play-off win over Bray Wanderers

Comfortable win at Tallaght Stadium keeps celebrations going for FAI Cup winners

Frantz Pierrot scored twice for Drogheda in their 3-1 win over Bray. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Frantz Pierrot scored twice for Drogheda in their 3-1 win over Bray. Photograph: Ken Sutton/Inpho
Paul Buttner
Sat Nov 16 2024 - 16:28
League of Ireland Premier Division Promotion/Relegation Play-off: Bray Wanderers 1 (Groome 63) Drogheda United 3 (Bolger 32, Pierrot 36, 52)

Frantz Pierrot scored a poacher’s brace to maintain Drogheda United’s Premier Division status while ensuring there was no danger of an FAI Cup hangover.

As they were at the Aviva Stadium last Sunday, Kevin Doherty’s cup winners were roared on by a raucous following as they ultimately posed too much attacking threat for Bray Wanderers at Tallaght Stadium.

This game has proved treacherous territory for Premier Division sides in recent years with the second-tier clubs having won seven of the previous nine instalments.

But there was little inkling of a surprise here as Drogheda dominated for large spells in building up a 3-0 lead by early in the second half against their opponent who had finished fifth in the First Division.

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Unchanged from the Cup victory over Derry City, Drogheda started on the front foot, troubling Bray’s defence inside the opening few minutes with strikers Douglas James-Taylor and Pierrot shooting off target.

Bray survived that to settle, stretching Drogheda’s defence for the first time on 12 minutes. Guillermo Almirall broke down the right to set up Darren Craven whose drive from distance sailed over the crossbar.

Drogheda’s Luke Dennison was the first goalkeeper called into action, reacting smartly to tip over a Cristian Mageruson header from Shane Griffin’s free kick.

But Drogheda regained the initiative with Pierrot twice off target before their dominance was rewarded twice in quick succession, if the opener on 32 minutes should not have stood.

Substitute Luke Heeney’s deep cross was headed back into the area by Dave Webster. The ball clearly striking James-Taylor on the arm went unseen by match officials to set up James Bolger who shot low to the net from 14 yards.

If Bray rightly had complaint about that, they could have had none for Drogheda’s second goal. A superb run from Darragh Markey got him in behind Bray on the right from Elicha Ahui’s pass. Pierrot then audaciously back-flicked the low cross to the net at the near post.

Bray remained a threat on the counterattack with Mageruson bustling through to once again work Dennison with a cross shot.

Paul Hefernan’s side had come from 2-0 down at half-time against Athlone Town in the First Division play-off final, but there was no way back here as Drogheda stretched their lead within seven minutes of the restart.

An upright initially deprived Pierrot of a second goal when his header from Ahui’s superb cross came back off a post.

There was no such reprieve for Bray, though, when the energetic Markey nicked the ball off Darren Craven to pick out Pierrot in the area for the Haitian to turn and shoot past Jimmy Corcoran for his 14th goal of the season.

Admirably, Bray kept playing and gave themselves a lifeline on 63 minutes. Midfielder Harry Groome surged forward from midfield before rifling a terrific shot from 20 yards past Dennison.

While Bray chased the game over the remaining half hour, with chances for Griffin and Magerusan, Drogheda kept their shape well having done more than enough to make a good week all the better.

Bray Wanderers: Corcoran; M Murphy, Cantwell, Omorehiomwan, Nolan; Groome, Craven; Almirall, Griffin, O’Sullivan; Magerusan. Substitutions: Feeney for Almirall (HT), O’Neill for Craven (79 mins).

Drogheda United: Dennison; Quinn, Webster, Bolger; Ahui, Farrell, Brennan, Kane; Markey; Pierrot, James-Taylor. Substitutions: Heeney for Farrell (18 mins), Foley for James-Taylor (73), Davis for Pierrot (82).

Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).