Shamrock Rovers extend Premier Division lead and pile misery on Drogs
Aaron Greene of Shamrock Rovers shoots to score his side's winning goal against Drogheda United. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Shamrock Rovers piled on the misery on what turned out to be a doubly devastating day for Drogheda United with a victory that extends their lead at the top of the Premier Division to nine points.
Drogheda’s Uefa Conference League fate was sealed earlier in the afternoon when the Court of Arbitration of Sport upheld Uefa's decision to expel the club from the third-tier competition on multi-club ownership grounds.
Graham Burke and Aaron Greene’s goals in each half condemned United to further disappointment and helped the Hoops extend their unbeaten run to 10 games now.
George Cooper’s first goal in a Drogheda shirt was as emotive a goal as Sullivan & Lambe Park has seen all season long. The on-loan Mansfield Town defender rose highest in the penalty and planted a header into the net after Shane Farrell’s corner from the left.
That handed Drogheda a deserved lead against Stephen Bradley’s visitors. The home team roared out of the traps just two hours after their European expulsion was confirmed.
Kevin Doherty would have had to deliver one of the more difficult team-talks of his time in charge of the Drogs. Much of his squad will have signed on for the 2025 season – or joined in the off-season – on the basis that a European adventure awaited.
Instead, their July schedule looks bare now. Only the visits of Galway United in the league and Crumlin United in the FAI Cup are pencilled in now.
Ironically, this match had been a fixture specifically arranged with both Drogheda and Rovers’ Conference League obligations in mind. How United will wish fixture their calendar still warranted a reshuffle.
Rovers were level in controversial circumstances shortly before the break. Not for the first time on Monday, the Drogs felt they were the victim of an unjust decision. Assistant Emmett Dynan flagged for an Andy Quinn handball that was missed by seemingly everyone else inside Sullivan & Lambe Park – including referee Neil Doyle.
The official showed Quinn a yellow card and Graham Burke fired a free kick from just outside the area through the wall and into the net, low to goalkeeper Luke Dennison’s right.
Earlier, Drogheda’s Californian goalkeeper had saved brilliantly from Trevor Clarke and then claimed Dylan Watts's effort, with a Quinn block denying Dylan Watts in between.
United themselves were playing with an intensity and hunger that was befitting of the occasion. Backed by a packed-out home crowd, whose chants included a song that cursed European football’s governing body, they were keen to demonstrate they could hold their own against a Rovers side who made the Conference League knockout stages last season.
Farrell and Douglas James-Taylor both forced fine saves from Ed McGinty but the hosts defended resolutely too in the face of increased pressure from the in-form league leaders.
With three defenders – Elicha Ahui, Owen Lambe and James Bolger – already out, United were dealt another setback when centre back Cooper had to withdraw in the second half. Captain for the evening Darragh Markey succumbed to injury too.
Just as they did when the sides last met on Boyneside in March, Rovers came from a goal down to lead courtesy of Burke and Greene. The latter finished smartly when played in by substitute Danny Mandroiu. The offside flag offered no respite, with Kieran Cruise playing the striker onside.
Goalkeeping coach Aaron Shanahan was red-carded in injury time as tempers flared on the sideline.
Dennison; Cooper (Harper-Bailey, 71), Keeley, Quinn; Cruise, Heeney, Farrell, Kane; Markey (Brennan, 56); James-Taylor (Davis, 66), Oluwa.
McGinty; Grace, Lopes, Honohan; O’Sullivan (Byrne, 66), Healy, Nugent (Mandroiu, 46), Watts (Noonan, 67), Clarke (Grant, 76); Burke (Cleary, 79), Greene.
Neil Doyle
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