Shane Farrell's brace sees Drogheda United come from behind to defeat Dundalk

While Louth for Sam is all the talk in the north-east, it was Farrell who was the toast of the county on Friday night

DERBY DOUBLE: Shane Farrell scored a brace as Drogheda came from behind to defeat Dundalk. Pic: Ben McShane/Sportsfile.

Dundalk 1 Drogheda United 2

It is rare that a Louth derby is not the main attraction on any given sporting weekend in the Wee County.

But this is no ordinary weekend with the small matter of an All-Ireland semi-final in Croke Park, seven decades in the making, being preceded by events at Oriel Park.

While Louth for Sam is all the talk in the north-east, it was Shane who was the toast of the county on Friday night. Shane Farrell, that is, Drogheda United’s two-goal matchwinner.

His goals in the 73rd and 85th minute turned this game on its head and is just the tonic Drogheda’s disappointing campaign needed. This was their first win in nine league matches. For Dundalk, it is another home lead thrown away with not even a point to show for it.

Just as he did the last time these met back in May, Gbemi Arubi opened the derby scoring. Keith Buckley’s pass towards the in-demand young striker took deflections off Daryl Horgan and United defender Leo Burney en route before Arubi found himself with just the goalkeeper to beat.

The 22-year-old duly obliged to net his seventh goal of the campaign. Reports have linked him with a move away from Dundalk this summer but with Eoin Kenny having joined Portsmouth and Danny Mullen unavailable, his importance to Ciaran Kilduff has multiplied in the last few weeks.

Dundalk’s lead was deserved, they were besting their fierce rivals for the most part. Struggling Drogheda were desperate for a victory but it hardly looked like arriving on the evidence of their first half display. As they trailed and Waterford’s resurgence was showing no signs of slowing 250km south at the RSC, Drogheda were dropping perilously.

Thing can change quickly however and they did so, in Drogheda’s favour.

Tyreke Wilson has developed something of a habit of scoring spectacular goals this term and almost conjured another before the interval. His shot from 20 yards was swerving away from the seemingly wrongfooted Luke Dennison but the goalkeeper got a strong hand to save nonetheless.

Having hardly threatened in the opening 45 minutes, Drogheda had the most presentable opportunities in the early second half exchanges. Both were breakaway moves and fell to Thomas Oluwa. But Farrell struck with a brilliant free-kick, from the edge of the area, before lashing a first-time effort beyond Enda Minogue for the winner.

Dundalk: Minogue; Animasahun (Groome 80), Cornwall, Burns; JR Wilson (Clarke 63), Buckley (Tracey 63), Dervin, T Wilson (McDaid 63); Horgan, Teahan, Arubi.

Drogheda United: Dennison; Agbaje, Keeley, Burney (Bolger 46); Bucknor, Farrell, Brennan, Kane; Kavanagh (Godden 70); Oluwa, Doyle (Markey 76).

Referee: Robert Harvey