League Report: Cork City 1-1 Drogheda United

It is as you were in for the relegation play-off position as Cork City and Drogheda United played out a 1-1 draw at Turners Cross on Friday night.

A goal just after the hour put the visitors in a controlling position but they conceded late on to maintain their worries.

It is more dropped points for Cork City as they replicated the result here earlier in the season. They seemed unable to deal with the high pressing game from the away side as they struggled for meaningful chances. An equaliser from the industrious Joe O’Brien-Whitmarsh kept the two point difference between the sides though.  

Both managers made changes following defeats last weekend. Liam Buckley and his staff brought in O’Brien-Whitmarsh ahead of Josh Honohan who missed out due to a knock. Tunde Owolabi was fit enough to start after being brought off against Derry whilst Jonas Hakkinen started on the bench.

Kevin Doherty started Evan Weir and Darragh Noone in place of Aaron McNally and the suspended Freddie Draper. Both he and Elicha Ahui are due to return to Lincoln after the completion of their loan deals.     

Drogheda were the side better placed and started with a degree of vigour. Dayle Rooney seemed to be playing as a sole forward with runners from deep and they caught the City back-line out as they seemed unaware of who to mark. The influential Ryan Brennan appeared the one most advanced and he helped create half-chances for Darragh Markey and Rooney. The best chance for City came when Matt Healy played down the line   for Tunde Owolabi to run on to. His low cross was just hacked away before Ruairi Keating could react.

The high press continued to present a concern to City as they harried and pushed up on the defence and midfield. They tried to counteract it by playing out from the back but lacked composure in their passing. Gordon Walker came forward from right back to chip an excellent ball into Keating that Andrew Wogan came out to intercept.

Walker was again to the fore as City should have gone one up. His ball into the area saw Keating fail to make a proper connection to it and on the follow-up, Owolabi got his feet all wrong as he tried to slot home the rebound. Keating had one more chance just before the break as O’Brien-Whitmarsh slid a ball through the Drogs back-line. His shot was deflected out for a corner.

City created the first chance of the half as O’Brien-Whitmarsh’s chipped pass over the top was just too strong for Aaron Bolger as he attempted to run on to it. Drogheda kept up the pressure at the other end but both Brennan and Rooney failed to hit the target with good chances.

They remained the most dangerous of the two in possession and the pressure told just after the hour mark. City lost the ball in a dangerous area and Brennan slid a pass through for Foley. Unbefitting the general game, he showed composure to slot it past Jimmy Corcoran.

Not even a triple substitution for City seemed to lift their malaise as they failed to create anything of note. It seemed to exemplify their night when a free-kick routine went horribly wrong.

They were to draw level though as they got beyond the Drogheda back-line for one of the few times in the game. O’Donovan was played out wide and his cutback saw O’Brien-Whitmarsh ghost past a defender to slot past Wogan. Cian Coleman produced an excellent block to deny Rooney as he turned to shoot.

Drogheda almost led again in the closing stages but for two more missed chances. Aaron Bolger nearly created a winner for Barry Coffey at the other end, but Wogan was alive to the danger.

Cork were probably the happier of the two at the final whistle but they know that improvement is needed. It seems now imperative new players arrive to bolster the squad. They face into another tough journey next Friday at as they take on St Patrick’s Athletic in Inchicore. Drogheda face the reigning champions, Shamrock Rovers, at home at the same time.  

Cork City: Jimmy Corcoran; Cian Coleman, Ally Gilchrist, John O'Donovan, Gordon Walker (Cian Bargary 58); Aaron Bolger, Kevin Custovic, Matt Healy (Barry Coffey 58), Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh; Ruairi Keating, Tunde Owolabi (Cian Murphy 58).

Subs not used: Samuel Bailey, Jonas Hakkinen, Colin Henderson, Daniel Krezic, Josh Fitzpatrick, Daniel Moynihan.

Booked: None.

Drogheda United: Andrew Wogan; Emmanuel Adegboyega, Elicha Ahiu, Conor Keeley, Evan Weir; Ryan Brennan, Gary Deegan, Adam Foley (Aaron McNally 76), Darragh Markey; Darragh Noone (Emre Topcu 69), Dayle Rooney.

Subs not used: Colin McCabe, Jarlath Jones, Warren Davis, Dylan Grimes, Matthew O'Brien, Michael Leddy, Luke Heeney.

Booked: Emre Topcu (78)

Referee: Damien McGrath

Attendance: 3851

extratime.com Player of the Match: Ryan Brennan

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