10-man Drogs hold out

LOUTH’S deadly rivals will meet again on Tuesday for an FAI Cup quarter-final place after 10-man Drogheda held out for a draw at Hunky Dorys Park.

Dundalk looked to be in the driving seat when Mark Quigley cancelled out Dave Rogers’ early strike on the stroke of half-time with a penalty which saw the Boynesiders’ Stephen Quigley sent off.

But they couldn’t break down a solid home defence in the second 45 minutes and so the sides will meet for the fifth time this season at Oriel.

As they did in the league meeting two weeks ago, Dundalk made the brighter start and Robert Duggan was forced into an early save from Colin Hawkins.

But the Boynesiders stunned their neighbours by breaking the deadlock inside five minutes after Peter Cherrie had parried a Gavin Brennan shot around the post.

Drogheda caught the opposition defence off guard from the resulting corner, and although Cherrie managed to half-clear towards the edge of the box, Rogers was perfectly placed 20 yards out to fire back past the keeper.

The visitors were on the rack for the next couple of minutes, but subsequently went agonisingly close to drawing level, Mark Quigley rapping an effort off the underside of the bar.

At the end of the half the Lilywhites turned the tie on its head. Mark Quigley exposed a square-looking home defence when he put Griffin clean through on goal, and the striker had his legs taken by Stephen Quigley as he shaped to shoot.

The Drogheda right-back was sent off and Mark Quigley coolly rolled the resulting spot kick past Duggan as the clock ticked into first-half injury time.

Inevitably it was the visitors who took control in the second half as the Boynesiders worked overtime to prevent scoring opportunities.

But Dundalk lacked any conviction in the final third and in the end Drogheda’s 10 men held out quite comfortably for a draw.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Duggan; Quigley, McNally, Rogers, Hand; M O’Brien, Gannon, Lynch, Brennan; Mulvenna, Corcoran (White, 81).

DUNDALK: Cherrie; Madden, Hawkins, McHugh, Murphy; Kearns, Bolger, Bennett (Ward, 67), Gaynor; Griffin (Byrne, 66), Quigley.

Referee: Damien Hancock (Dublin).