Brennan breaks Cork City hearts with injury time winner for Drogs
Djenairo Daniels's brace for Cork City was not enough to secure any points against Drogheda United. Pic: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Two years ago, a comeback win for Drogheda United over Cork City all but condemned the Rebels to a relegation playoff.
A late Ryan Brennan penalty sealed that result in Co Louth and the veteran again rippled the net with a spot-kick to leave City in the identical spot, one off bottom.
Waterford’s revival being maintained with a 1-0 win at champions Shelbourne compounded a dark day for City.
Fears of mayday abound from this reverse on the May Bank Holiday generating a six-point distance between the Munster rivals.
At least star striker Seáni Maguire is expected to return from injury for Friday’s visit of Derry City to Turner’s Cross.
Recently signed striker Djanairo Daniels appeared to have earned a point by grabbing his second goal with five minutes left but substitute Thomas Oluwa won the spot-kick converted by the 33-year-old veteran.
“Leaving here with a point would have been a good result,” reflected City boss Tim Clancy, ruing the return to the club where he made his name in management.
“It’s annoying to concede with the last kick of the game. We haven’t had many chances but neither did Drogheda. It was just second phases from free-kicks, corners and throw-ins.
City had experienced something of a bounce of late, recovering from a five-match losing streak to bolster their points haul from seven to 12.
That pattern seemed to be continuing when they sped into an early lead in Co Louth but the only thing to continue was their habit of dropping points from winning positions.
They withstood an early barrage of pressure, including a chance for defender George Cooper which he scooped over the crossbar from six yards, to hit the front on seven minutes.
Daniels was the starter and finisher of the move, initially dropping deep to squirt his layoff wide to Kitt Nelson.
Once the Preston North End loanee dashed to the endline and squared into a congested penalty area, the ball ricocheted off Conor Kane into the path of Daniels to volley it in off the underside of the crossbar.
Douglas James-Taylor, making his first start this season, was Drogheda’s equivalent up top and he was marginally late in connecting with Owen Lambe’s cross, watching it agonisingly trickle wide.
City also squandered opportunities of extending their lead, notably Seán Murray hooking the ball wide when sent clear.
Drogheda’s flow of deep crosses and throws into the box was dealt with by City but they contributed to their downfall for the equaliser five minutes before the break.
Nelson descended from the architect of the opener to gifting a window for the equaliser by miscontrolling the ball near in his own box.
In his haste to redeem himself, he barged into Luke Heeney. The pain of shipping a booking was secondary to seeing Shane Farrell’s free-kick deflect off the wall to wrongfoot Tein Troost.
“Kitt has been brilliant for me but moments like that you have to see out,” Clancy said of the misstep. “All he needed to do there was clear the ball rather than trying to beat their player.” Enthused by that leveller, Drogs pushed on in the second half and made it 2-1 on 63 minutes.
A crunching tackle by Cooper on Daniels set the tone for their attack and when Lambe sprinted down the right, his cross was weighted perfectly for Warren Davis to sidefoot his volley home from six yards.
Evan McLaughlin speared a free-kick for City as they regrouped but it was the presence of Daniels that forced the equaliser with five minutes left.
Drogs were simply unable to counteract his power in the six yard box as he turned in Cathal O’Sullivan’s left-wing cross from close range.
As is the way of the hosts, they sought a winner and it was supplied when Troost collided with substitute Oluwa inside the box from Conor Keeley’s knockdown.
It was into the last of five stoppage time minutes when Brennan stepped up, coolly sending the Dutchman the wrong way and jumping for joy.
J Brady; A Quinn, C Keeley, F Cooper (J Bolger 75); O Lambe, S Farrell, R Brennan, L Heeney, C Kane; W Davis (B Bosakani 75), D James-Taylor (T Oluwa 66).
T Troost; H Nevin (A Nolan 66), F Anderson, C Lyons, M Kiernan (R Shipston 53); D Crowley, E McLaughlin; C O’Sullivan, S Murray, K Nelson (D Dunne 76); D Daniels.
A O’Dowd (Dublin).
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