Airtricity Premier League: Shelbourne Triumphs 2-1 Over Drogheda United
Showcasing their grit and determination, Shelbourne had a challenging downward spiral in the game yet emerged victorious against Drogheda United. Initially, the title aspirants Shelbourne held a steady 2-0 lead until 55 minutes into the game, thanks to the combined efforts of Sean Boyd and Rayhaan Tulloch. Manager Damien Duff’s squad seemingly had almighty control of the match, taking them one step closer to a championship win, their first since 2006. There was a collective sigh of relief rippling across Tolka Park.
However, the sentiments took an unexpected shift when Bridel Bosakani, a budding 20-year-old newcomer from Drogs, made his league debut. He scored a fantastic goal, intensifying Drogheda’s second-half offensive after a subdued first half. This injected a newfound anxiety among Shels, as one mistake could potentially throw away their season’s worth of effort.
There was palpable distress when an additional four minutes was tacked onto the game’s tail end. JJ Lunney mitigated some of this discomfort, executing flawless tackles and delivering crisp passes. The relief came when Harry Wood sped off to the corner towards the end. Shelbourne had ultimately lived up to what was expected of them, and now their championship hopes hang on the outcome of Shamrock Rovers’ Sunday game against Dundalk.
The potential title could be theirs, or they might have to conquer Derry City next Friday once again. While Derry City is no longer in the running for the title with their focus shifted towards the Cup final, the same situation did little to dampen Drogheda’s spirits.
Shelbourne’s Sean Boyd initiated the game excellently, bagging his season’s eleventh league goal in the 11th minute. Earlier, Liam Burt had had promising shots but narrowly missed. Things took a turn for the better when a skilful pass from Burt set Boyd loose, scoring the first goal for Shelbourne. Amidst an onslaught from Drogheda’s defence, Tulloch cleared the ball meting it to Burt, allowing Boyd to sprint and outdo Luke Dennison.
Shelbourne’s jitters were promptly quelled. Without pushing their rivals, Drogheda kept up a competitive pace, while Burt was near to scoring once more on the 25-minute mark, followed by Sean Gannon’s attempt on 30. While Shelbourne clearly had control, it was not a wholesale exertion of dominance. Still, finishing the first half on a positive note, news of St Pat’s taking the lead against Derry triggered joyous whispers, eventually escalating to pronounced cheers in the crowd. A chant of “We are top of the league” echoed through the stadium.
Duff marked the end of the half by racing towards the changing rooms as the elated atmosphere carried over into the break. A spotlight on Shelbourne’s victorious women’s team from last Sunday’s Cup final added to the euphoria, earning applause from the crowd. However, this elation was nearly punctured when Drogheda escalated their pace two minutes following the restart and Shelbourne’s defensive line briefly faltered. Both Luke Heeney’s near miss and Douglas James-Taylor’s shot that forced Conor Kearn’s initial save sparked a degree of worry among home-town supporters.
However, a long clearance by Kearns over Drogheda’s defence line led to Gannon rushing forward. Although he was intercepted, Boyd moved in to assist, his pass smartly turned into a goal by Tulloch. All seemed secure but Drogheda refused to back down. Bosakani, fresh on the pitch and immediately in action, took possession 20 yards from goal and curved a beautiful shot beyond Kearns. The suspense lasted until the final whistle after the four additional minutes.
Shelbourne: Kearns, Gannon, Barrett, Ledwidge, Wilson, Caffrey (substituted by O’Sulliban, 90 mins), Lunney, Burt (replaced by Coote, 72), Martin (subbed for O’Brien, 65), Tulloch (relieved by Wood, 72), and Boyd.
Drogheda United: Dennison, Ahui (substituted for O’Brien, 57), Quinn, Keaney, Bolger (replaced by Harper-Bailey, 57), McNally (subbed for Cailloce, 74), Heeney, Deegan, Markey (replaced by Davis at halftime), Foley, and James-Taylor (relieved by Bosakani, 57).
Referee: N Doyle.
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