Agony and ecstasy for Mulvenna

Bohemians 1 Drogheda United 4

Showing their intent from the start, skipper Paul Crowley and Ryan Brennan, twice, had openings before Mick Cooke’s side’s early pressure told on 23 minutes.

A long-range one-two between Mulvenna and Sean Brennan opened Bohemians up, with the former racing through to sweep home his first goal of the night.

Bohemians responded, pushing Evan McMillan up into attack as they switched to a 4-3-3, soon twice coming close to equalising.

Drogheda keeper Gabriel Sava got down well to stop a Dinny Corcoran effort from Andy Mulligan’s near-post cross. McMillan’s flick then put Mulligan in behind with his left-foot volley flashing narrowly wide.

But it was Drogheda who doubled their lead on 44 minutes. Mulvenna, who minutes earlier had missed the proverbial sitter when slicing badly wide, drilled home from close range from a Stephen Quigley cross.

A mistake by Sava gifted Bohemians a goal back two minutes into added time when his weak punch under pressure from Corcoran dropped perfectly for McMillan who drove the ball to the net.

Drogheda virtually laid siege to the Bohemians goal on the resumption and got a deserved third goal four minutes in when central defender Alan McNally stooped to head home Philip Hand’s corner.

Keith Ward hit a post with a free-kick for Bohemians on the hour mark before Mulvenna completed his hat-trick six minutes later, stabbing the ball home after Murray spilled a cross from John Sullivan.

Sadly, the night finished on a sour note for Mulvenna who was taken off on a stretcher on 88 minutes with a leg injury.

BOHEMIANS: Murray; Heary, McMillan, Feely, Barker; Buckley, Pender, McEvoy, Mulligan (Moore 46); Traynor (Ward 46); Corcoran (Scully 76).

DROGHEDA UNITED: Sava; Quigley, McNally, Prendergast (Marks 86), Hand; Gannon (Sullivan 24), Byrne, R Brennan, Crowley; S Brennan, Mulvenna (Breen 88).

Referee: Damien Hancock (Dublin).