- Gerard Grimes
- Sat, Feb 10 2018
By Gerard Grimes in United Park
Stephen Meaney's equaliser 14 minutes from time for Drogheda United in Friday’s pre-season friendly against Bray meant the game ended all square at United Park after Ronan Coughlan had given Wanderers the lead midway through the first half.
In what was a tightly contested affair throughout, it was Bray who had the first chance of the game as Gary McCabe's superb free kick bounced off the top of Paul Skinner's crossbar.
Bray looked to have taken the lead on 25 minutes as the ball found McCabe in the box. He finished it easily, only for the linesman's flag to be up and the goal disallowed for offside.
The Seagulls did hit the front three minutes later though as a neat passing move resulted in the ball being squared back to Ronan Coughlan from the right and he made no mistake, slotting home from inside the box.
Despite Bray creating all the chances, and taking the lead, Drogheda were looking dangerous, especially down their left through Conor Kane and Mark Doyle.
However, Drogheda's first chance of the game, on the stroke of half time, would come down the right as Lee Duffy beat his man with a burst of pace but his low strike was saved well by Evan Moran in the Bray goal.
Like the first half, it was Bray who had the first chance of the second period as Kevin Lynch set off down the left, cutting a ball across the box towards substitute Dan Kelly, who couldn’t keep his effort down, firing over the bar.
Drogheda went close to equalising just a minute later, as the Boynesiders put together a neat passing move, getting the ball to Duffy on the right, he found a yard of space on his man before sending a right footed drive just over bar.
The game hit somewhat of a lull for a period of around 15 minutes as both sides began to make a number of changes, with the likes of Jake Kelly and Jake Ellis coming on for Bray and Richie Purdy and Stephen Meaney for the home side.
Those changes had an effect as Drogheda found their equaliser on 76 minutes, with substitutes Purdy and Meaney being the players to start off the move and score the goal.
A lung busting run from Purdy took the ball by a number of Bray players before he played the ball to Meaney.
He played the ball back into the path of Purdy, who went to ground under a challenge but the ball ended up falling to Duffy on the right.
Duffy, looking for the bottom corner, mishit his shot, which wasn't fully cleared by Bray, allowing Meaney, who scored eighteen times for Drogheda’s U19 side last season, to fire home from 12 yards.
Both sides pressed late on looking to find a late winner and Jake Kelly looked to be through one-on-one for Bray with ten minutes to play, only for Victor Ekanem to somehow get back, steal the ball from Kelly’s feet and clear the danger.
Then, with five minutes to play, Duffy found space on the right, played a cross into the box towards McCaffrey who headed just over Moran’s bar, with the referee’s full time whistle sounding minutes after.
Drogheda United: Paul Skinner; Colm Deasy (Lloyd Buckley 64), Kevin Farragher (Victor Ekanem 64), Ciaran Kelly, Conor Kelly; Luke Gallagher (Richie Purdy 64), Jake Hyland (Luke Rossiter 78), Sean Brennan (C) (Kealan Dillon 78); Lee Duffy, Chris Lyons (Stephen Meaney 69’), Mark Doyle (Gareth McCaffrey 64’).
Subs not used: Luca Gratzer (GK), James Carroll, Jordan Kelly.
Booked: Lee Duffy (71).
Bray Wanderers: Evan Moran; Daniel McKenna (Calvin Rogers HT), Hugh Douglas, Sean Heaney, Kevin Lynch (Shane Flynn 83); Cory Galvin (Jake Kelly 60), Darragh Noone, Gary McCabe (C) (Rhys Gorman HT), Dylan Hayes (Dan Kelly HT); Ronan Coughlan (Jake Ellis 64), Aaron Greene (Ger Pender HT).
Subs not used: Alex Nevin (GK).
Booked: Kevin Lynch (73).
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Conor Kane (Drogheda United).
See pictures by Larry McQuillan from the game here.
