Drogheda United pull clear of Dundalk after late winner in fiery Louth derby
BRAGGING RIGHTS: Drogheda celebrate after Hayden Cann scores the winner. Pic Credit: Tom Maher, Inpho.
Hayden Cann settled a dinger of a Louth derby deep into stoppage time to put five points between Drogheda United and basement side Dundalk.
Jamie Gullan cancelled out Frantz Pierrot’s opener with 10 minutes left in an incident that saw Drogs goalkeeper Jethren Barr sent-off. But Kevin Doherty’s 10-men nicked the points when the Lincoln loanee availed of a scramble from a free-kick to smash home the loose ball.
Dundalk’s goalkeeper George Shelvey was also red-carded, clashing with Gary Deegan at the final whistle.
A disastrous start to the season, which saw them go 12 games before winning, plunged the 2019 title winners Dundalk to the bottom of the table.
That win, allied to the two draws either side, avoided them being cut adrift and though they had more than simply their county rivals in their sights within the pack above them, this defeat may prove pivotal.
Deegan was involved in the opener but Dundalk would argue the Drogs terrier shouldn’t have been on the pitch for his assist.
After picking up a 35th-minute yellow card for one of his classic ferocious tackles, he was late with another on Robbie Benson seven minutes later.
Maybe Rob Harvey was playing advantage when he allowed proceedings to continue with Dundalk in possession but not issuing a second booking when it stopped appeared odd.
While Drogheda had the better of the first-half exchanges, Pierrot guilty of squandering a quickly-taken free-kick, they still required Luke Heeney to scamper back and clear Benson’s shot off the line.
Another goal-line clearance was needed later in the game only after the home crowd were enthused by their breakthrough.
Ambitious playing out from goal-kicks had proved costly during the ropey early start that cost Stephen O’Donnell his job and it returned here 10 minutes after the restart.
A pass from goalkeeper Shelvey facing goal was ideal for Deegan to intercept and his layoff enabled Pierrot to lift the ball high into an unguarded net.
Adam Foley headed over for Drogs but Dundalk held the impetus.
Once the two Drogheda centre-backs collided on 70 minutes when trying to head clear, Gullan pounced. His shot from an acute angle beat Barr but not Ryan Brennan, whose outstretched leg kept the ball out.
Fresh legs brought fresh opportunities and Cameron Elliott beat the offside trap to cut in from the right, only to be taken out by Barr.
His red card was issued while hobbling off and the first touch for his replacement, Andrew Wogan, was picking the ball out of the net. Gullan’s 20 yard free-kick curled around the wall, striking the post on the way in.
With numerical advantage, Dundalk’s tails were up but their failure to defend one threat during 10 minutes of stoppage time was their undoing.
J Barr; L Heeney, A Quinn, H Cann, E Weir; R Brennan, G Deegan; A Foley, D Markey (O Gallagher 83), W Davis (A McNally 67); F Pierrot.
G Shelvey; A Davies, Z Johnson, A Boyle, H Muller (R O’Kane 89); P Doyle (K Oostenbrink 60), S High; J Mountney (C Elliott 72), R Benson, D Horgan; J Gullan.
Rob Harvey (Dublin).
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