Dundalk 1 Shamrock Rovers 0
Robbie Benson pounced late on to breath new life into the SSE Airtricity League title race as Dundalk got the better of Shamrock Rovers at Oriel Park.
The 30-year-old popped up 10 minutes from the end to steer a stunning cross from Lewis Macari into the net to close the gap at the top of the table to just five points, with Stephen O’Donnell’s side still having a game in hand over the league leaders.
It was Benson’s 12th career goal against the Hoops and his first league goal for Dundalk at Oriel Park since scoring in the 3-2 victory over the Tallaght men in 2019, which secured the Louth men’s last league title.
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Stephen Bradley’s side – who finished the game with 10 men after Ronan Finn’s late dismissal – will still be hot favourites for the league title despite this setback, but this result ensures they won’t hang on to it without a fight.
In a game of few chances Patrick Hoban and Andy Boyle both went close with first-half headers for Dundalk, with Rory Gaffney having the only shot on target in the half when he fired straight at Nathan Shepperd on 26 minutes.
Gaffney would go close again for Rovers within two minutes of the restart when he fired into the side netting but it was largely the home side pushing for a breakthrough and it came on 80 minutes.
Hoban did superbly well to control Sam Bone’s pass on his chest before holding off Roberto Lopes to work the ball out to the right to Macari. The on-loan Stoke City youngster then delivered a superb ball into the box which the inrushing Benson met with a left-foot volley to send Oriel Park into raptures.
Things then went from bad to worse for the Hoops three minutes later when captain Finn was sent off for a second bookable offence following a high challenge on Darragh Leahy.
DUNDALK: Shepperd; Macari, Connolly, Boyle, Leahy; Sloggett, Benson, Doyle (Bone, 76 mins); Bradley (Adams, 85 mins), Hoban (Martin, 85 mins), Kelly.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus; Hoare, Lopes, Grace; Finn, O’Neill, Towell, Kavanagh; Watts (McCann, 65 mins), Gaffney (Greene, 81 mins), Mandroiu.
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
Derry City 1 Drogheda United 1
A patched-up Drogheda United secured a share of the spoils at the Brandywell as Derry City failed to return to winning ways much to the disappointment of the large home support.
Ruaidhrí Higgins’s side have now earned just four points from a possible 21, their excellent start to the season having disappeared.
In short, the home side dominated the game but failed to net their vital second goal as Drogheda continued to frustrate with their flooded defence and no-nonsense tactics.
With Drogheda fielding without four first-choice players – two suspensions and two on-loan players recalled by Lincoln City – Drogheda’s defensive tactics were predictable.
That said, the home side could, and should, have led 3-0 by the time 12 minutes had elapsed, but both Jamie McGonigle and Brandon Kavanagh failed to convert glorious chances from close range.
Cameron Dummigan and Shane McEleney both failed to force a loose ball over the Drogheda goal-line following a corner as the visitors continued to flood their defence.
Indeed, having survived that early onslaught, Kevin Doherty’s side looked comfortable in their attempts to control the game.
In the 32nd minute Derry really should have broken the deadlock when Mattie Smith outwitted Drogheda full back, Georgie Poynton on the left. Smith’s teasing cross was met on the full by Will Patching, but his volley from 12 yards sailed over the crossbar.
However, a minute later, Derry deservedly broke the deadlock, the goal arriving as shots continued to ping-pong inside the six yards box.
On this occasion McGonigle’s shot was blocked by goalkeeper Colin McCabe, but when the rebound dropped into the path of Smith, the striker lashed it high into the net from the angle.
Drogheda’s only noteworthy effort didn’t arrive until the 40th minute when Ryan Brennan’s header failed to hit the target.
Dayle Rooney could have brought Drogheda level in the 53rd minute after he intercepted Kavanagh’s ill-advised back pass but Cameron McJannet did well to get back and clear the effort at the expense of a corner.
And on the hour the visitors should have done better when Dean Williams burst through the Derry backline but Caoimhín Porter did well to race back and dispossess the striker, the teenager making his first start for Derry at right back.
Four minutes later McGonigle was set up by a superb Patching cross but his left-foot curling shot sailed agonisingly wide of the upright.
Drogheda then silenced the big crowd when awarded a penalty, McJannet adjudged to have bundled Brennan to the ground inside the area and referee, Alan Patchell, immediately pointed to the spot in the 77th minute.
Up stepped Williams who calmly stroked the ball into the corner of Brian Maher’s net.
McGonigle was out of luck again five minutes from the end when he failed to head McEleney’s deep cross into the net from 10 yards.
Derry also had a penalty claim during the latter stages when McGonigle appeared to have been upended, but the referee failed to see it that way.
DERRY CITY: Maher; Porter (Thomson, 65 mins), S. McEleney, McJannet, Coll; Smith, P McEleney, Kavanagh (Akintunde, 65 mins); Dummigan; Patching; McGonigle.
DROGHEDA UNITED: McCabe; Poynton, Quinn, Weir, Massey; Clarke (Markey, 66 mins), Nugent; Grimes (Foley, 40 mins), Brennan, Rooney; Williams.
Referee: A Patchell.
St Patrick’s Athletic 2 UCD 1
Eoin Doyle scored twice to give St Patrick’s a hat-trick of wins for the season over bottom side UCD, who had both manager Andy Myler and his assistant Willie O’Connor sent to the stand.
Despite dominating the ball for much of the first half, St Pat’s had goalkeeper Joseph Anang to thank for not finding themselves behind at the interval.
Darragh Burns, Chris Forrester, along with Mark and Eoin Doyle, had chances as a combination of poor finishing and Kian Moore in the UCD goal frustrated the home side.
UCD played their way into the game with Anang worked for the first time in the 39th minute, tipping over Dylan Duffy’s header from a Donal Higgins free-kick.
The home goalkeeper then produced a double save in first-half stoppage-time to deprive Mark Dignam and Seán Brennan.
St Pat’s finally found a clinical edge from the resumption and were ahead five minutes in.
A surging run from Mark Doyle opened UCD up. Forrester delivered the cross for Eoin Doyle whose header found the net despite Moore getting a hand to the looping effort.
UCD were fuming three minutes later when they felt Saints’ 16-year-old defender Sam Curtis should have received more than a yellow card for a last-man challenge on Dara Keane who had raced through on goal.
Assistant O’Connor and then manager Myler were first yellow carded and then sent off for dissent in the following minutes.
A penalty then doubled St Pat’s lead on 73 minutes when Evan Caffrey clumsily pulled down substitute Ben McCormack.
Eoin Doyle sent Moore the wrong way from the spot for his seventh league goal of the season.
Substitute Alex Nolan got a goal back for UCD on 87 minutes with a low drive to the net, but it proved a mere consolation.
ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC: Anang; Curtis (Abankwah, 77 mins), Redmond, Grivosti, Breslin (Bermingham, 77 mins); O’Reilly, McClelland (McCormack, 59 mins); Burns (Scott, 85 mins), Forrester, M. Doyle (Owolabi, 77 mins); E. Doyle.
UCD: Moore; Gallagher, Yoro (Bowden, 70 mins), Todd, Osam; Brennan (Nolan, 75 mins), Keane; Dignam (Lonergan, 63 mins), Caffrey, Higgins (Kerrigan, 63 mins); Duffy.
Referee: Paul McLoughlin (Donegal).
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