Bone makes amends as Shels battle back to take a point off leaders Drogs

The table toppers and defending champions combined to serve up a pulsating 2-2 draw in Louth

WET AND WILD: Luke Heeney of Drogheda United in action against Sean Boyd of Shelbourne during the SSE Airtricity Men's Premier Division match between Drogheda United and Shelbourne at Sullivan & Lambe Park in Drogheda, Louth. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile

SSE Airtricity Premier Division: Drogheda 2 (Davis 22’, Bone 41’ (OG)) Shelbourne 2 (Coyle 29’, Bone 66’)

The league leaders and the champions couldn’t be separated at Sullivan & Lambe Park as Sam Bone’s equaliser rescued a point for Shelbourne. Drogheda United remain top regardless.

The driving rain and lure of television coverage didn’t put anyone off from enjoying a pulsating clash at a sold-out Windmill Road venue. Both sets of supporters created at atmosphere befitting of a meeting of two of the country’s leading sides.

Warren Davis scored Drogheda’s first – his fifth in six games. Already having drawn attention from a number of English Championship sides, Drogheda fans may soon begin to fear they won’t hold onto him beyond the summer.

Davis is a Republic of Ireland Under 19 international and with form like this is making a convincing case to step up to Jim Crawford’s Under 21s sooner rather than later.

His strike partner Thomas Oluwa latched onto Andy Quinn’s ball down the line and beat Kameron Ledwidge for pace before the unfortunate Sam Bone slipped on the turf. Conor Kearns repelled Oluwa’s effort but Davis’ shot on the turn sent the loose ball into the bottom corner of the net.

Drogheda had started brightly but that soon faded and the champions assumed control. The goal appeared to stir something in Damien Duff’s side.

It seemed inevitable their subsequent spell of pressure would lead to an equaliser and it did. Luke Dennison failed to gather a cross and from Evan Caffrey’s layoff, skipper Mark Coyle lashed in a shot.

Kevin Doherty’s team are often at their best when their backs are against the wall and against the run of play they found another. American defender Owen Lambe’s strike took a massive deflection off Bone.

The former Dundalk and Waterford defender was playing his first game in seven weeks after injury. It looked like he was having a particularly luckless evening as United went in ahead at half time.

It was his timely intervention at the other end that brought Shels level again on 67 minutes. He escaped Conor Keeley’s attentions at the back post to head in Caffrey’s corner.

Minutes earlier, referee Damien MacGraith had waved away calls for a Drogheda penalty. Davis raced past Kameron Ledwidge inside his own half and carried the ball 50 yards before going down in the box amidst a tangle of legs.

The hosts had some shaky moments later in the game, with Dennison guilty of causing panic in the ranks and in the stands with some poor distribution.

Duff rang the changes, Ali Coote, Rayhaan Tulloch and Sean Boyd were all introduced as they chased a winner that would see them leapfrog the Drogs. They couldn’t find it.

Drogheda United: Dennison; Quinn, Keeley, Bolger; Lambe, Brennan, Farrell (Ahui, 86), Kane; Markey (Heeney, 58); Davis (Cruise, 77), Oluwa (Bawa, 86).

Shelbourne: Kearns; Coyle, Bone, Ledwidge; Caffrey, McInroy, Lunney, Norris (Tulloch, 80); Chapman, Wood (Coote, 71); Odubeko (Boyd, 80).

Referee: Damien MacGraith