Drogheda United 0
St Patrick’s Athletic 0
DROGHEDA UNITED HAVE stopped the rot. After four straight defeats that sent them to the foot of the table, a first clean sheet in 13 games secured a long-awaited point and, in turn, moved them back above fierce foes Dundalk for now.
For Stephen Kenny, things aren’t getting any easier. He has won just one of his seven games in charge since he was brought in with the task of sparking life into a St Patrick’s Athletic team who are nowhere near meeting pre-season expectations from without
within and outside the club.
His side could have snatched a result here. Jake Mulraney passed up two presentable chances in either half while Andrew Wogan, fresh from starting his Leaving Certificate exams in Ardee Community School this week, saved from both Ruairi Keating and Jamie Lennon.
That doesn’t tell the whole story, however. Drogheda were more than in this game and were full value for their point in the end. In injury time, Zishim Bawa came close to his fourth of an improving campaign but his header was wide.
It would have been celebrated widely by the majority of the 2,046 in attendance had it landed the right side of the upright.
The chances were plentiful for the hosts, for whom Jack Keaney and Conor Kane were particularly impressive. Both players took aim at goal in the first and second half respectively, while Bawa, Adam Foley and Ryan Brennan all went close to varying degrees.
While yet another failure to secure three points is a blow to Kenny, the Pat’s boss was dealt further problems by the loss to injury of defenders Ryan McLaughlin and Joe Redmond. Conor Keeley was replaced at the break too.
In the second half, the Saints defence bore a really unfamiliar, makeshift look to it. They weren’t breached though, which is something. Kian Leavy was a constant threat, running at the Drogs defence but his influence waned as the game wore on.
A point will do for Pat’s and for Drogheda, it’s altogether welcome. The Saints have played at least two games more than the teams around them. Their predicament might get worse before it gets better.
Drogheda United: Andrew Wogan; Luke Heeney, Andrew Quinn, Jack Keaney, Conor Kane; Matthew O’Brien, Ryan Brennan (Warren Davis, 85); Adam Foley (Frantz Pierrot, 79), Darragh Markey, Evan Weir; Zishim Bawa.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Danny Rogers; Ryan McLaughlin (Aaron Bolger, 31), Conor Keeley (Tom Grivosti, 46), Joe Redmond (Jamie McClelland, 66), Luke Turner; Jamie Lennon, Chris Forrester, Kian Leavy; Jake Mulraney, Ruairi Keating (Cian Kavanagh,74), Mason Melia (Alex Nolan, 74).
Referee: Declan Toland
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