Keeper Finnegan proves the hero as Drogheda see off Bohs

Goalkeeper Shane Finnegan was the Drogheda hero on his debut with two saves in the penalty shoot-out as Mick Cooke’s side won through to the EA Sports Cup third round.

The U19s netminder saved from Kevin Feeley and then Ryan McEvoy, after the home side scored all their spot kicks through Philip Hand, Peter Hynes, Ryan Brennan and Dean Marshall.

In normal time, the Boynesiders had a 19th-minute Tiarnan Mulvenna effort ruled out for offside, but Bohs responded with a Ryan McEvoy piledriver that was superbly parried by Drogheda’s debut keeper Shane Finnegan. Then, on 26 minutes McEvoy volleyed home Keith Buckley’s cross to give the visitors the lead.

But Drogheda deservedly hauled themselves level on 34 minutes when Tiarnan Mulvenna tucked away a Conor O’Keeffe cross following a poor defensive header.

The Boynesiders bossed the game after half-time and Mulvenna flashed a shot across goal and Ryan Brennan headed over the bar, before Craig Sexton in the Bohs goal fisted Dean Marshall’s fierce effort round the post.

Bohs almost grabbed the lead on 77 when Keith Buckley’s shot hit teammate Davy Byrne and spun wide.

In extra-time the best chance fell to Sean Brennan whose shot from point-blank range was brilliantly saved by Sexton before the drama of the penalty shoot-out.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Finnegan: O’Keeffe, McNally, Breen, Hand; Marshall, Foley, R Brennan, Kerr; Mulvenna, Hynes. Subs: Prendergast for McNally (61), M O’Brien for Foley (61), S Brennan for Mulvenna (76).

BOHS: Sexton; Joyce, McEvoy, Harney, Feeley; Buckley, Traynor, McMahon, Stewart; Dixon, Davy Byrne. Subs: Mulligan for McMahon (67), Mahon for Dixon (68), Scully for D Byrne (104).

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.

Longford Town 1 Dundalk 2

By Eoin Lynch

Gary Shanahan scored in either half to cancel out Seán Skelly’s early opener as Dundalk came from behind to defeat Longford Town 2-1 at Flancare Park.

Skelly fired the home side in front after just three minutes as the First Division high-flyers got off to the perfect start. However, after goalkeeper Paul Hunt denied Michael Rafter, Shanahan found the net just past the midway point of the first half.

The decisive goal came eight minutes after the break as Shanahan finished confidently to fire the Lilywhites into the quarter-finals.