League Report: Drogheda Utd 1 - 0 Bohemians

Drogheda United recorded their first win in eight games as they edged past a plucky Bohemians side 1-0 at United Park.

Despite being second best for most of the game, the home side secured the three points through Carl Walshe’s 69^th minute strike.

The visitors should have gone in front on three minutes as a quick throw-in down the right released Patrick Kavanagh who headed into the path of Karl Moore but the midfielder’s well struck volley was headed off the line by the recovering Daire Doyle with David Ryan stranded.

United went even closer to opening the scoring sixty seconds later as Cathal Brady broke the offside trap and despite rounding Dean Delaney, the winger’s shot from an acute angle bounced off the post and was cleared from danger.

Paul Crowley, captaining Drogheda in the absence of the suspended Gavin Brennan, was cautioned following a late tackle on Anto Murphy with the midfielder requiring extensive treatment.

The Gypsies took control of the game but struggled to test Ryan in the Drogheda goal. Moore came close again for the visitors but he failed to keep his effort from the edge of the box on target.

Murphy brought the first save out of Ryan as the Drogheda ‘keeper tipped his 25-yard shot over the bar. From the resulting corner, a loose ball landed kindly into the path of the veteran Jason Byrne but the striker fired high and wide with the goal at his mercy.

The second period started in a similar manner as Moore was played in down the left by Kavanagh but the former Shamrock Rovers player shot straight at Ryan.

Byrne, who has an excellent goal scoring record against the Boynesiders down the years, missed two guilt-edged opportunities to put the Dubliners in front. He first headed over from Moore’s deep delivery before Ryan denied him with an excellent save only minutes later.

Drogheda took the lead against the run of play as a misplaced pass from Stephen Beattie was pounced upon by Carl Walshe and the winger brought the ball forward before firing a low shot into the bottom corner.

In the remaining twenty minutes, Bohemians pushed forward for an equaliser but it was to no avail as a resolute Drogheda side picked up their first clean sheet in ten games.

The victory sees Drogheda leapfrog Bohemians into 7^th in the table while the Gypsies will be aiming to pick up themselves up for next week’s Dublin derby against Shamrock Rovers.

Drogheda United: Dave Ryan; Michael Daly, Ciaran McGuigan, Daire Doyle, Shane Grimes; Cathal Brady (Declan O’Brien 12), Eric Foley, Paul Crowley, Gavan Holohan, Carl Walshe; Gary O’Neill.
Subs not used: Dylan Connolly, Paul Andrews, Philly Hughes, Dominic Mahon, Sean O’Connor, Roy Kierans.

Booked: Crowley (10), Daly (92)

Bohemians: Dean Delaney; Stephen Beattie, Aidan Price, Dan Byrne, Derek Pender (Darragh Reynor 21); Anto Murphy (Kevin Devaney 72), Dave Mulcahy, Ryan McEvoy (Craig Walsh 80), Karl Moore; Paddy Kavanagh; Jason Byrne.
Subs not used: Gavin Moore, Eoin Wearan, Stephen Traynor. Jake Hyland.

Booked: Walsh (82).

Referee: Robert Harvey

Attendance: 991

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Ciaran McGuigan (Drogheda United)