Drogheda United 0 Bohemians 2
Bohemians withstood a late assault from Drogheda United to return to winning ways and maintain their lead over challengers Derry City and Shamrock Rovers at the top of the Premier Division.
For the third time this season, Declan Devine’s side have responded to defeat with a victory immediately after. They are yet to draw a game in 11 outings but United will consider themselves unfortunate not to have taken something from a game they more than contributed to.
Paddy Kirk’s first-half goal was added to in injury-time by substitute Declan McDaid. The latter was Bohs’ only attempt of note on goal in a second half dominated by Drogheda.
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James Clarke stung the palms of Colin McCabe inside 18 minutes. The loose ball fell to left back Kirk, who too easily darted inside past Dylan Grimes. His shot seemed to take the goalkeeper by surprise.
Darragh Markey, Ryan Brennan and striker Freddie Draper were prominent for United after the break but while the defence in front of him creaked under home pressure, James Talbot was never over-extended.
McDaid’s goal sealed it after McCabe sliced a clearance horribly and the winger pounced, rounding the retreating goalkeeper and finding the net.
DROGHEDA UNITED: McCabe; Ahui (Leddy, 80), Adegboyega, Keeley, Jones (Heeney, 77); Deegan; Grimes (McNally, 73), Brennan, Markey (Topcu, 80), Rooney; Draper.
BOHEMIANS: Talbot; Horton, Nowak, Radkowski, Kirk; Buckley, McDonnell, Clarke (Twardek, 66); Connolly (McDaid, 79), O’Sullivan (McManus, 73); Afolabi (Williams, 73).
Referee: Seán Grant.
Cork City 1 Derry City 3
Goals from Ronan Boyce, Michael Duffy, and Colm Whelan made sure that Derry City got their first win in three games, with the Candystripes beating Cork City 3-1 at Turner’s Cross.
A late shot from Tunde Owolabi provided some consolation for Colin Healy and his team, with the group now sucked into a relegation battle at the bottom of the Premier Division table.
It could have been so different as City were all over Derry in the opening ten minutes, they even won four consecutive corners.
Once Derry got control, they never once let their grip in this Premier Division tie slip. City did try to break and a succession of shots from Ruairi Keating and Matt Healy got blocked. Derry got a corner within 90 seconds of this and Duffy’s ball was turned in by Boyce.
Their second arrived through Ben Doherty keeping the ball in play on the left wing. He set up Duffy to curl the ball into the bottom left corner at the St Anne’s End.
Whelan fired in with one of his first touches that put the result well beyond City, who pulled one back through Owolabi at the Shed End in injury time.
CORK CITY: J Corcoran; C Coleman, M Healy, A Gilchrist, A Bolger, R Keating, B Coffey (O Owolabi, 76), J Honohan, E Varian (J O’Brien Whitmarsh, 76), C Murphy (D Krezic, 51), J Hakkinen.
DERRY CITY: B Maher; R Boyce, M Duffy (C Whelan, 74), B Doherty, S Diallo, S McEleney, C McJanet, R Graydon (B Kavanagh, 84), O O’Neill (M Ward, 84), A O’Reilly, C Kavanagh (C Coll, 74 mins).
Referee: Robert Harvey
Shelbourne 1 Dundalk 1
Rayhaan Tulloch won and then conceded a penalty before scoring a cracking late equaliser as Dundalk salvaged a point against a tenacious Shelbourne who played for over 80 minutes with 10 men in a thrilling contest at Tolka Park.
The game was quick to spark to life 10 minutes in when Shelbourne conceded a penalty and had Shane Farrell sent off.
With Andrew Quinn having given away the spot-kick when he tripped Tulloch, Shelbourne wing back Farrell received a straight red card for clashing with Keith Ward right in front of referee Damien MacGraith.
Further drama ensued as Conor Kearns got a strong hand to save Robbie Benson’s penalty.
Minutes later Shelbourne’s Paddy Barrett was adjudged to have fouled Dundalk goalkeeper Nathan Shepperd before putting the ball in the net.
Though Archie Davies and Keith Ward had half-chances for Dundalk, Shelbourne might have snatched the lead on 37 minutes but for the bravery of Shepperd who saved at the feet of Matty Smith.
Damien Duff’s Reds remained a real danger on the counter with Shepperd saving Jack Moylan’s attempted lob following Barrett’s long ball.
The game then swung Shelbourne way eight minutes into the second half.
A Darragh Leahy slip initially saw Moylan burst forward to set up Smith whose touch let him down as Shepperd saved at his feet.
Their doggedness then brought Duff’s side the lead on 56 minutes.
Kian Leavy did well on the left initially as Smith threaded a ball through for the run of Evan Caffrey who was pushed over by Tulloch to concede a penalty.
Moylan sent Shepperd the wrong way in blasting his spot-kick to the net.
Dundalk owned much of the ball for the remainder of the game, Benson hitting a post with Tulloch firing the rebound wide.
Their pressure finally told on 81 minutes with a piece of magic from Englishman Tulloch who skipped past both David Toure and Caffrey before drilling to the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
SHELBOURNE: Kearns; Barrett, Byrne, Griffin; Quinn (Toure, h-t), Caffrey, Lunney, Farrell; Smith, Moylan (McManus, 85), Leavy (Ledwidge, 60).
DUNDALK: Shepperd; Davies, Muller, Leahy, Benson; Lewis (Doyle, 79), Malley (Hoban, 60); Ward, Yli-Kokko (O’Kane, 51), Tulloch; Martin.
Referee: Damien MacGraith (Mayo).
