Shelbourne 1 Dundalk 1
Patrick Hoban struck a landmark goal at Tolka Park on Friday night, but it wasn’t enough to earn Dundalk all three points against Shelbourne.
Now in his seventh season at the club – spread across two spells – Galway native Hoban headed the Lilywhites into the lead on 69 minutes with his 100th top-flight goal. This looked set to secure them a second win for the campaign, but a penalty from Sean Boyd ultimately ensured Damien Duff’s Shels emerged with a share of the spoils.
Clear-cut opportunities were initially hard to come by until Dundalk’s Sam Bone unleashed a powerful 25-yard strike on 23 minutes that produced a fine stop from Reds’ goalkeeper Lewis Webb.
Shels wing-back John Ross Wilson subsequently fired over from close-range off a superb Luke Byrne cross as the deadlock remained unbroken at the break.
Dundalk suffered a blow when half-time substitute Daniel Kelly was withdrawn through injury, but they eventually broke the Shels resistance in his absence. From an enticing Keith Ward set-piece delivery, the ever-dependable Hoban climbed highest to edge Stephen O’Donnell’s men in front with 21 minutes to go.
This ramped up the pressure on a Shels side that were still searching for a first home goal under Duff’s watch, but they finally opened their account in a frantic finale. After he was fouled by Dundalk ’keeper Nathan Shepperd, the towering Boyd stepped forward on 86 minutes and calmly fired his low spot-kick to the net.
SHELBOURNE: Webb; O'Driscoll, Byrne, Ledwidge; Wilson, McEneff, Dervin, Kane; Farrell (Carr, 70); McManus, Boyd.
DUNDALK: Shepperd; Bone (Williams, 61), Boyle, Connolly, Hanratty; Sloggett, Benson; Bradley (Kelly, 46 – Adams, 61), Ward (Doyle, 76), Martin (Macari, 82); Hoban.
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).
Finn Harps 0 St Patrick’s Athletic 2
Second-half goals from Jack Scott and Eoin Doyle paved the way for a St Patrick’s Athletic win that propelled them into joint top spot.
After an evenly contested first half, the Saints finally broke down Harps to make it back-to-back wins for the Tim Clancy managed side.
Harps, meanwhile, are still seeking a first win of the season and slip to bottom spot, below UCD on goal difference. Worryingly for the Donegal side, they have scored just once in four games.
Harps almost took the lead on the half hour. Ellei N’Zeyi surged into the box and won a corner which Pat’s failed to clear properly and when the ball fell for Dave Webster his low drive through a crowd of players smacked off the foot of the post.
On the hour, Filip Mihaljevic had a good chance for Harps but was denied by the advancing Joseph Anang.
The Saints pounced in the 65th minute after a flowing move that saw an Ian Bermingham shot pushed on to the post by McGinley before the ball spun across the face of goal where Jack Scott was on hand to tap home.
Shortly afterwards the hugely influential Chris Forrester squandered a decent chance for the Inchicore side.Harps, though, spirited as always, pressed hard for an equaliser.
But St Pat’s struck again on 78 minutes with Eoin Doyle heading home a Forrester free.
FINN HARPS: McGinley; Rainey, Boyle, Webster, Carillo; Mahdy (Devers, 82), N'Zeyi (Timlin, 74), Connolly, McNamee; Hery (McWoods, 66); Mihaljevic.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Anang; Scott, Redmond, Grivosti, Bermingham; Burns (Owolabi, 66), Forrester, O'Reilly, Breslin; E. Doyle (McClelland, 85), M. Doyle, (Coughlan, 85).
Referee: A Reale (Kildare)
Drogheda United 0 Sligo Rovers 3
Sligo Rovers showed their clinical edge in a first-half performance that put Drogheda United to the sword at Head In The Game Park.
There was considerable surprise when Liam Buckley opted to keep striker Aidan Keena in reserve by the Boyne, opting instead to start with a strike force with more than a hint of continental flavour. Occasional New Zealand and Canada internationals Max Mata and Jordan Hamilton started in tandem up front. Both will be happy with their evening’s work.
An unbeaten start to the campaign is nothing to be sniffed at for the side from the Showgrounds. They took control early on when Lewis Banks met Will Fitzgerald’s corner at the back post, via a glance in his direction. His header beat the Drogheda goalkeeper Sam Long.
The debutant goalkeeper was equally helpless when Mata crossed for Hamilton to head in from close range inside 20 minutes. Sligo time and again exploited a vacant right side of the Drogheda defence. Will Fitzgerald did so to stunning effect before the interval. The former Derry City attacker was found in space aplenty and he advanced to the edge of the area before hitting a thunderous effort past Long. It rose to ripple the roof of the net.
Drogheda improved after the break but it was too late. The visitors had already done enough to seal the points.
DROGHEDA UTD: Long; Roughan, Hughes, Massey; Poynton, Deegan, Clarke (Rooney, 46), Weir (Cowan, 46); Markey (Nugent, 46); Foley (Grimes, 73), Williams (Cailloce, 79).
SLIGO ROVERS: Brush; Banks, Buckley (Blaney, 59), Pijnaker, Kirk; McDonnell (Cawley, 79), Morahan; Fitzgerald, O'Sullivan (Byrne, 79); Hamilton (Keogh, 66), Mata (Keena, 66).
Referee: P McLaughlin (Donegal).
