2016 Season Review - Drogheda United

Team: Drogheda United

Manager: Pete Mahon. The man who was assistant manager at Drogheda for the majority of 2015 has now signed a new two year deal, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2018 season.

Top Scorer: Aaron Ashe (8). The former Bohemians forward, who was voted Supporters Player of the Year this season, found the back of the net eight times for Drogheda this season. Ashe opened his account with a quick-fire brace off the bench against Cabinteely in April, scoring in the 82nd and 83rd minutes after only being brought on in the 80th. The forward then scored his only first half goal of the season against Cobh Ramblers before scoring in the last minute against both Limerick and Waterford. There would be three more goals to come for Ashe as he found the back of the net against Athlone and Cabinteely, either side of another last minute goal against Shelbourne.

Drogheda captain Sean Thornton also hit eight for the season with six goals coming in the regular league season, one in the FAI Cup replay defeat to Derry City and the crucial final goal in the play-off against Wexford that sent Drogheda back to the top flight of Irish football. Five of Thornton's eight goals were penalties, including his goals against Derry and Wexford.

Highest Attendance: Drogheda’s highest attendance during the regular league season came in their final game of the season as 1,087 attended their crunch match vs UCD, the game where Drogheda claimed a play-off spot thanks to a 2-1 victory over the Students. The highest attendance of the season however, came in second leg of the promotion/relegation play-off against Wexford Youths when 2,117 people were in attendance, almost double the number of people who attended the game against UCD

Lowest Attendance: Drogheda's lowest attendance of the season would come in a 1-0 victory over Athlone at United Park, where just 327 were in attendance on July 15th.

Star Player: Stephen McGuinness. While Aaron Ashe is a worthy contender for this, it has to be said that the former Bray net-minder McGuinness was perhaps the star despite missing the start of the season due to an injury sustained while at Bray mid-way through the 2015 season. McGuinness would make his debut in April in a 4-0 win over Cabinteely, going on to start every competitive fixture until the end of the season. In the 30 games he played this season, including the four play-off fixtures and two cup ties against Derry City, McGuinness recorded 13 clean sheets while picking up repeated Man of the Match awards throughout the season. 

With McGuinness playing consistently well, it was tough to pick out his best performance of the season. However, it is his performance in the second round FAI Cup draw against Derry City that sticks out. In a performance that earned him significant plaudits from fans of both clubs, the keeper repeatedly kept Derry at bay before finally been beaten by a controversial penalty, after he had already saved one spot kick earlier in the second half. 

Best Young Player: Luke Gallagher. McGuinness and Ashe are the obvious contenders for this. However, Luke Gallagher, who played every minute of the season for Drogheda at centre-back, picking up just three yellow cards all season, one of which didn't come until the first leg of the play-off final against Wexford Youths on Halloween night.

Having played most of the 2015 season in midfield, Gallagher has been the first name on Pete Mahon’s team sheet in what had been an unfamiliar position at centre-back since pre-season. The ball playing defender was consistently good throughout the season despite not having one consistent partner at centre-back for the season with Niall Cooney, Joe Jackson, Derek Doyle, Lloyd Buckley and Kevin Farragher all playing alongside the former Bray man at some point this season.

Best New Signing: Gareth McCaffrey. Despite only joining Drogheda on loan from Shamrock Rovers mid-way through the season, McCaffrey would go on to finish as the Boynesiders’ third highest goal scorer for the season, finding the back of the net six times in 12 games.

McCaffrey made his debut in a 2-0 victory away to Shelbourne on July 22nd and would score his first Drogheda goal two games later in a 3-3 draw with First Division champions Limerick. McCaffrey would next find the net in a 3-1 victory away to Waterford before scoring a brace in a 2-0 victory over Cobh. However, McCaffrey was then sent off late on the following week against Athlone Town and therefore suspended for Drogheda's next three games. McCaffrey returned to the Drogheda side for their final league game of the season against UCD before scoring two of Drogheda's three goals in the two legged play-off against Cobh Ramblers.

What we expected they would do: Our team of reporters predicted that Drogheda would finish third in the First Division, behind Limerick and UCD. Two of our reporters thought Drogheda would win the league while the lowest prediction for the Louth side was 7th.

What they actually did: Drogheda finished second in the First Division, 23 points behind champions Limerick thanks to the final day victory over UCD. Drogheda then progressed to First Division play-off against Cobh Ramblers. Despite winning the first leg 2-0 in Cobh, Drogheda seen their advantage wiped out inside the first eight minute in the return leg at United Park until a second half strike from McCaffrey sealed a 3-2 aggregate victory to send Drogheda through to the play-off final against Wexford.

Drogheda travelled to Wexford on Halloween night and despite dominating the first half, lost the first leg 2-0, leaving them with an uphill task in the return leg. However, Pete Mahon's men produced an extraordinary turnaround as they ran out 3-0 winners in the second leg at United Park, sealing promotion back to the Premier Division at the first attempt following their relegation in 2015.

What they need to improve on for next year: The aim for Drogheda next year is simple, to remain in the top flight of Irish football. To do so, Drogheda will need to attempt to keep a hold of their key players from this season while adding experience across the field. With the exception of Sean Thornton, Sean Brennan and Derek Doyle, all of which are 30 years old or older, Drogheda had just two players over the age 23, in Marc Griffin and Liam Donnelly.

#GreatestLeagueInTheWorld moment of season: This comes thanks to Lloyd Buckley who seen himself back in the starting 11 at centre-back for the second leg against Wexford. However, following a boot to the face while blocking a Wexford effort in the first half, Buckley was knocked unconscious and taken to the hospital across the road from United Park.

However, that didn’t stop Buckley from walking back across the road to join his teammates and the fans for the promotion celebrations, all while still wearing his full kit, boots and all.