Wood fires brace to ensure Shels grab share of spoils in Drogheda

Shelbourne’s Harry Wood celebrates. Pic: Morgan Treacy

Premier Division: Drogheda United 2 Shelbourne 2

Drogheda United and Shelbourne couldn’t be separated in yet another entertaining encounter between the rivals at Sullivan and Lambe Park, with Drogs’ nemesis Harry Wood hitting two to earn his side a point.

Turnarounds have been par for the course when these sides have met this season. 

In their previous Boyneside meeting, it was Drogheda who scored first only for Shels to win out 2-1. At Tolka Park in April, the hosts’ two-goal half-time lead counted for nothing as they lost the share of seven goals.

Kevin Doherty’s team required just that – a turnaround – after Wood’s 15th-minute opener. He collected Milan Mbeng’s low cross and on the turn, he struck a shot that left Luke Dennison motionless. A deflection of Shane Farrell’s heel deceived him.

United’s equaliser arrived via Thomas Oluwa. The lightning-fast attacker is not renowned for his aerial prowess, but he rose highest to head in Brandon Kavanagh’s corner. Another winger, Jason Bucknor, was pivotal to Drogheda’s lead goal.

The American’s dummy took him past Harry Wood in his own half and he exchanged passes with Brandon Kavanagh, all the whole darting into Shels’ territory. When he received the return ball in a dangerous position, he had time to deliver a point-perfect cross, flicked into the net by Mark Doyle.

His ninth of the season, that goal put Doyle atop the Premier Division goalscoring charts. Hot on his heels are a number of players, including Wood whose goal had the sides level again.

Dennison – on his return to the team after 10 games on the bench – could consider himself desperately unlucky to see ball meet net. 

He first dived to his right to deny Ali Coote and then made another quickfire stop before it was eventually bundled in from close range.

Drogheda United: Dennison; Agbaje, Burney, Keeley, Kane; Brennan, Farrell (O’Brien, 54); Bucknor (Kareem, 78), Kavanagh, Oluwa; Doyle (Godden, 75 6).

Shelbourne: Speel; Bone, Barrett (Norris, 46 6), Ledwidge; Mbeng, Lunney, Caffrey, Jarvis (Kelly, 51); Coote (Moore, 67), Wood (Henry-Francis, 77); Odubeko (Boyd, 51).

Referee: Arnold Hunter