Drogs Flattered by three-goal win

Defending Champions Drogheda United got their season up and running with their first win of the 2008 eircom League of Ireland Premier Division campaign at home to relegation candidates Cobh Ramblers at United Park on Friday evening. Goals from Graham Gartland, Joe Kendrick and Ollie Cahill sealed a flattering if comfortable in the end 3-0 win for the Boynesiders, who had taken just one point from their opening two games of the season.

After surviving a triple let-off in the eighth minute as classy winger Davin O’Neill saw his effort pushed behind, before centre-half Shane Guthrie headed against the bar and Kevin Murray’s rebound was palmed away by Mikko Vilmunen, the home side took the lead against the run of play just after the quarter-hour. A Paul Keegan corner was flapped at by visiting ‘keeper James McCarthy, who let the ball go through his hands, before Gartland bundled the ball home following a goalmouth scramble.

Drogs didn’t add to their advantage until the second-half, however, when it eventually arrived, their doubler was one which was well worth waiting for. Left-back Kendrick, after initially seeing his cross blocked, picked up the rebound and fired a rocket to the back of the Cobh net, before Cahill made the three points safe soon after as he gleefully pounced on another McCarthy error to head home a Shane Robinson cross.

Drogheda started with a full-strength line-up with the exception of injury-victim Jason Gavin, as Stuart Byrne once again filled in at right-back with Brian Shelley partnering Gartland in the heart of the defence. Close-season signing Adam Hughes, meanwhile, started in the middle of the park alongside Paul Keegan, with the usual attacking quartet taking their places on the wings and up top. Cobh too lined-out with a 4-4-2 formation, as lively pair Davin O’Neill and Graham Cummins partnered each other in the front line.

And, it was the highly regarded O’Neill - a target for Cork City in recent months - who forced the first save of the night, as Vilmunen pushed the 24-year-old’s shot from the left side of the area behind for a corner. From the resulting set-piece, Cobh thought they had taken the lead, only for Guthrie to see his powerful header crash back off the crossbar, before fellow central defender Murray had a shot saved well on the line by the Finnish ‘keeper, before Drogheda eventually cleared their lines following a scramble in the box.

That was a succession of misses which the visitors would rue soon after, as Drogheda hit the front on 16 minutes. A corner from Keegan was not gathered by McCarthy, who let the ball go through his hands. A number of home players were waiting in the six-yard box to do the needful, and it was centre-half Gartland who got the final touch as he poked the ball home past desperate last-ditch attempts from Cobh to clear. McCarthy then almost gifted Drogheda a second just five minutes later, as he dropped a Cahill cross before gathering right on the line as the ball bounced goalwards.

A poor performance from the Boynesiders saw them unable to open up Cobh in the remainder of the half, and they almost paid for their failure to fire as O’Neill bore down on the home goal in added-on time at the end of the opening period. His effort was thwarted, however, as, after a good run, the Cobh-born star saw his shot blocked behind by a combination of Kendrick and Byrne, before referee Tom Connolly signalled for the interval.

After watching his side labour in the first forty-five minutes, manager Paul Doolin’s half-time team-talk obviously worked a treat, as Drogheda doubled their lead just four minutes after the restart. Kendrick ventured forward but saw his cross headed away by Guthrie, only for the ball to be returned to the former 1860 Munich defender, who unleashed an unstoppable volley to the top corner of the net from the left side of the box.

What was to follow directly afterwards was a bizarre incident. From the tip-off between Cummins and O’Neill, the pair laid the ball back to John Kearney, who sent an incredible 45-yard chip over the backtracking Vilmunen and into the net. Astonishingly, however, the referee was to rule the goal out as there was still a Drogheda player inside the centre-circle - a decision which understandably led to angry protests from the Cobh players and the visiting bench.

And, it proved to be the turning point of the evening, as Drogheda wrapped up the win just shy of the hour-mark. Robinson’s cross from the right was completely missed by McCarthy, who left Cahill with an easy task to head the ball into an empty net from 12-yards. Following that, Drogs took their foot off the pedal as both teams appeared to settle for the result, with a late cross from Richie Baker, which McCarthy (again!) almost dropped into the net, being the only noteworthy action of an event free last half-hour.

Drogheda United (4-4-2): Mikko Vilmunen; Stuart Byrne (John Tambouras 87), Brian Shelley, Graham Gartland, Joe Kendrick; Shane Robinson (Richie Baker 76), Paul Keegan, Adam Hughes, Ollie Cahill; Eamon Zayed, Guy Bates (Aidan O’Keefe 71).
Subs Not Used: Jamie Ewings (GK), Ibrahima Iyane Thiam.

Booked: G Bates (50), A Hughes (73).

Cobh Ramblers (4-4-2): James McCarthy; Kenny Coleman, Shane Guthrie (Ray Lally 68), Kevin Murray, John Meade; Gareth Cambridge (John Meade 60), Shane Barrett (Alan Kearney 70), John Kearney, Michael Mulconry; Graham Cummins, Davin O’Neill.
Subs Not Used: Alan King, Kieran O’Reilly.

Booked: S Guthrie (36), J Kearney (45), K Murray (54).
 

Referee: Tom Connolly (Dublin).
Attendance: 1,500 (estimate).