Shamrock Rovers 1

Drogheda United 1

Brendan Graham reports at Tallaght Stadium

A PENALTY IN each half saw Shamrock Rovers and Drogheda United play out a battling 1-1 draw in Tallaght Stadium this evening.

On ten minutes, Adeyamo had a glorious chance to open the scoring from a set piece. Adeyamo connected well with a header from Dane Massey’s looping cross to the back of the box but headed wide of the goal. The in-form Drogheda striker will surely be disappointed with the final effort.

Rovers had the lead from the penaly spot on eighteen minutes courtesy of Graham Burke and it was no less than the home side deserved. Sean Gannon picked up the ball from Aaron Greene inside the box and showed brilliant feet to nick the ball past Massey before being brought to ground with a penalty awarded.

The composed Graham Burke stood up to the spot before slotting a cool finish to Odumoso’s right and put Rovers 1-0 to the good. They should have doubled their lead on the half hour mark after a well worked set piece. Graham Burke’s dinked ball over the top was picked up on the edge of the box by the nearest man Aaron Greene.

A quick turn from Greene allowed him the space to find Lopes at the back post but the
defender blazed his effort well over the bar. The visitors were having to soak up a huge amount of pressure at the back in the opening half and were dealing with the majority of the quick and fluid attacking play well but just could not turn their rare forays into the opposition half into anything of real threat.

Drogheda to their credit had their equaliser just past the hour mark all coming after a much improved performance after the restart.

The lively Darragh Markey picked up the ball in midfield and then bravely advanced into the box before being bundled over by Graham Burke. Penalty to the visitors which was calmly slotted into the corner from substitute Chris Lyons to bring the sides level.

As the game edged into the final fifteen minutes Rory Gaffney asked serious questions of Odumoso in the Rovers goal with a string of glorious chances to give Rovers the lead once more.

Moments after his point blank header inched over the crossbar Odumosu denied the striker with a fingertip save at full stretch before keeping Gaffney at bay again seconds later at the opposite post.

Into the ninetieth minute and Gaffney had another gilt-edged chance this time flicking Gannon’s cross onto the post and back into play but Conor Kane was onto the ball like a flash to avert the danger and ensure the sides share the points.

Shamrock Rovers: Alan Mannus; Liam Scales, Roberto Lopes, Sean Hoare, Sean Gannon; Gary O’Neil, Ronan Finn, Aaron Greene, Danny Mandroiu; Graham Burke, Rory Gaffney

Drogheda United: David Odumosu; Conor Kane, Daniel O’Reilly, Dane Massey, Killian Phillips; Darragh Markey, Gary Deegan, Luke Heeney, Ronan Murray (Mark Doyle 56); Dinny Corcoran (James Clarke 68), Jordan Adeyemo (Chris Lyons 56)

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