Drogheda come from behind to beat Shels in 7-goal thriller
Shelbourne 3
Drogheda United 4
Paul O’Hehir reports from Tolka Park
SHELBOURNE THOUGHT THEY had their mojo back after a first-half show of strength, only to suffer a second-half meltdown of epic proportions.
After blowing a 2-0 lead to fall 3-2 behind, the taunts rippling through the Tolka Park crowd towards under-fire manager Joey O’Brien and his players were unmistakable.
Yet the tone of the barbs were softened somewhat by Harry Wood’s late equaliser from the penalty spot, as Shelbourne looked like saving face.
But Conor Keeley – who conceded that penalty – had other ideas and won it for Drogheda with a long range strike that silenced the ground with five minutes to go.
The decibels were dialled up again on the final whistle as frustrated Shelbourne fans vented at a remarkable chain of events having seen their team turn to papier-mâché.
Boos rang out across the stunned Drumcondra venue, with a fan base left scratching their heads after slipping to a fourth defeat on the spin.
Shelbourne's Jack Henry-Francis reacts to a missed chance Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
Sean Boyd and Paddy Barrett had the Reds sitting pretty at the break and those supporters believed their team was about to end a three-game losing streak.
But Drogheda had other ideas and despite barely landing a glove on their hosts up to then, they stunned Shels with three goals in 15 minutes.
Shelbourne’s struggles at defending set pieces have been well documented this season and they were laid bare once again.
Edwin Agbaje couldn’t have asked for an easier header off a corner to give Drogheda a lifeline and then Warren David took matters into his own hands with a quick-fire brace.
Both of these teams were crying out for wins as Shels had lost successive games to Derry City, Shamrock Rovers and Dundalk.
And in the first-half, they never played like a team wracked by self doubt, or weighed down by recent results. Yet the mask slipped after the break as they crumbled.
Drogheda have had their own issues. They were without a win since the second weekend of the season, so it’s no wonder Shels fancied a bite.
Determined to atone for their recent slump, they were positive from the outset and tore into Drogheda, taking control early on and limiting their opponents to scraps.
Wood was their orchestrator in chief and thrived in the pocket behind forwards Boyd and John Martin, setting the wheels in motion for the opener after 19 minutes.
When Drogheda defender Andrew Quinn headed Sam Bone’s long punt into Wood’s path, the Englishman never broke stride and accepted it at full tilt.
Wood may have been tempted to continue his gallop and try his luck, but had the presence of mind to lay the ball off to Boyd, who beat Fynn Talley with a low shot.
And Barrett then doubled the lead with an easy header off a Wood corner before half-time and Shels looked to be cantering.
But the visitors hit back in just the right fashion, six minutes into the second-half to ask questions of their hosts.
Again, set piece defending was at the core of Shels’ problems.
Agbaje had all the time and space he needed to head home Kavanagh’s corner to hand Drogheda a lifeline – which they took.
Kevin Doherty’s men equalised in the 62nd minute with Davis outfoxing Barrett and Kameron Ledwidge in the box with a low finish after brilliant wing play from Thomas Oluwa.
But Drogheda were not finished there – not by a longshot.
They sealed a remarkable comeback four minutes later when Davis jabbed home his second, with Oluwa once again central to the move.
Despite the meltdown, Shels had a sting in the tail with Wood’s equaliser from the spot, only for Keeley to win it amid remarkable scenes late on.
SHELBOURNE: Speel; Caffrey (Coote 87), Barrett, Bone (Gannon 87), Ledwidge; Lunney, Henry-Francis (McInroy 72), Jarvis (Lundgren 72); Wood; Martin (Freitas 61), Boyd.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Talley; Agbaje, Keeley, Quinn (Bolger 45), Kane; Kavanagh (Cruise 90), Brennan, Godden (Farrell 35); Davis, Kareem (Doyle 58), Oluwa.
Referee: M Lynch (Galway)
