Boyd earns Shels draw with Drogs to maintain top spot
Shelbourne’s Sean Boyd celebrates his goal. Picture: ©INPHO/Ciaran Culligan
Even without one of their trademark late goals and an insipid record of one win in nine, Shelbourne were able to retain top spot.
On five occasions this term, Damien Duff’s side struck in the last 15 minutes but their late pressure didn’t steal a winner that would’ve swelled their lead to three points.
Strikers from each team scoring their fourth goal of the season made for an exciting affair, Shels staying steady and Drogs expanded their advantage to six points over basement neighbours Dundalk.
Both sides made two changes from their Bank Holiday outings, the pair for Drogs enforced by suspension.
At least their goalkeeper Jethren Barr was the netminder who incurred a 10-month ban arising from a red card in the Louth derby. His spot went to Andrew Wogan and the teen was being watched in the crowd by another Wee County native custodian Nicky Colgan, nowadays working at League Two champions Stockport County.
Wogan had an active role in the first half, primarily for Shelbourne accusing him of being too inactive. Twice he slumped to the ground demanding medical treatment, fuelling what’s become renowned as the Brian Maher phenomenon whereby the assistance for the Derry goalkeeper facilitates a huddle tutorial.
His first visit to the turf on 21 minutes punctuated a spell of Shels pressure, belated as it was in coming following a concession within 125 seconds.
Frantz Pierrot was snared by Drogheda on account of his 22 goal haul for Athlone Town but drew blanks in each of his opening eight matches. What a turnaround it’s been, for this was the fourth match of the last seven he found the net in.
Duff was scolding his players for a sloppy opening when they coughed up a free-kick on the right for captain Mark Coyle bundling over Luke Heeney.
Yet he was even more livid a moment later as Evan Weir’s inswinging free-kick found the Haitian striker and his header carried too much power for the outstretched hand of Conor Kearns to prevent it angling into the top corner.
Boyd appeared to be shipping the bulk of Duff’s disgust and he should have silenced him after 12 minutes. Tyreke Wilson’s floated free kick landed perfectly for the unmarked forward whose rising volley from a mere eight yards grazed the crossbar.
Will Jarvis has rescued Shels on so many occasions since joining on loan from Hull City last summer and amidst a fallow spell for the Reds he fashioned one of his sparkling contributions on the stroke of half-time by drifting inside and unleashing a rocket that drifted marginally off-target.
Drogs, too, had their opportunities in the half which had eight minutes added minutes due to Wogan’s respite. A better execution by Darragh Markey might have embarrassed Kearns for miscuing a clearance straight to his opponent’s feet with the goal unguarded.
Duff – fresh from receiving another booking – saw enough of the substandard fare to dash across the pitch at the half-time whistle and beckons three substitutes into the fray.
They had to be better and they were, generating the equaliser on the hour. Similar to the breakthrough goal, the leveller was sourced by a curling free by a defender and finished by a tall striker. Evan Caffrey’s pinpoint delivery from the left glided all the way to the back post where Boyd was waiting to plant his downward header inside the post.
Bar one reprieve for the visitors when Kearns made hard work of shovelling Markey’s shot out for a corner, it was a red sea of attacks.
Substitutes were prominent. With 12 minutes to play, Matty Smith found John Martin who wasted a sight at goal.
Another impactor, Dean Williams, twice infiltrated the Drogs backline, only for ponderous finishing to cost him. Wogan advanced to smother the danger when the forward ghosted in as 90 minutes loomed and two minutes into stoppage time he scooped a right-wing cross wide.
C Kearns; S Gannon, P Barrett, G Molloy, T Wilson (K Ledwidge 46); JJ Lunney (E Caffrey 46), M Coyle (J Martin 67); L Burt (D Williams 77), S Farrell (M Smith 46), W Jarvis; S Boyd.
A Wogan; L Heeney (J Heaney 46), A Quinn (D Webster 67), H Cann, E Weir; R Brennan, O Gallagher; A Foley (Z Bawa 55), D Markey, W Davis (C Kane 53); F Pierrot.
Gavin Colfer (Wexford).
3,598.
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