SOCCER: Drogheda United - 2 Bohemians - 0: Bohemians relinquished their title to Shelbourne last night when they suffered a defeat to a determined Drogheda United. The stakes were high at 0₂ Park with Stephen Kenny's men needing a win to keep their title ambitions alive, while the hosts certainly could not afford to lose with UCD and Derry City looking to pull them back into the relegation mire for one more week.

The strange thing was Bohemians appeared to lack the required urgency until it was too late. Maybe it was the absence of their midfield general Kevin Hunt or Glen Crowe's inability to get to grips with the pace as he was suffering from a calf injury. It mattered little as it is unlikely any team would have been able to contain United in the opening hour. In fact, if Bohemians goalkeeper Seamus Kelly had not produced some truly remarkable saves, it could have got really ugly.

The travelling supporters were silenced early on but not by anything they saw on the pitch. Word had filtered through that Shelbourne had taken the lead against Cork City.

Drogheda, buoyed on by their opponents' slow start, manufactured the game's first real chance in the 25th minute. Andy Myler was fouled on the edge of the box by Ken Oman only to regain his feet to curl a neat free-kick over the wall. However, Kelly denied the strikers with an excellent save.

The early scare proved to be the wake-up call for Kenny's men but their radar was well off target all night with Damian Lynch and David Morrison spurning chances in the first half.

While United were asking all the pertinent questions, a rasping strike from midfielder Barry Molloy forced Kelly into another acrobatic save, to leave it scoreless at the break.

With the team-talk complete, and Bohemians in no doubt of what was required if the season was to be salvaged, they were expected to come out all guns blazing but again it was United who seemed the most likely to break the deadlock. Kelly's heroics continued, as he made his best stop yet after a Mark Quinless effort.

But the home side's pressure was relentless and 12 minutes into the second half Declan O'Brien put them in front when his glorious effort, after a Myler pass, flew into the top corner.

Three minutes later the destination of the title was decided.

Bohemians began to pour forward only to be caught short at the back as Quinless sent Molloy clear on goal, again Kelly produced a fine save. Gary Cronin sent the resulting corner into the area only to see it arrive back at his feet. The winger's snapshot somehow found a way past a plethora of defenders to send the locals into raptures.

Although a half an hour remained Bohemians remained clueless in their efforts to spark a revival.

DROGHEDA: Rodgers, Gray, O'Connor, Lynch, Molloy, Cronin, Quinless, Flanagan, O'Brien, Myler, Tierney. Subs: Golloglly for O'Brien (87 mins).

BOHEMIANS: Kelly, Lynch, Webb, McNally, Hawkins, Oman, Morrison, Caffrey, Doyle, Crowe, Ryan. Subs: Harkin for McNally (62 mins); Keegan for Doyle (64 mins); Rutherford for Caffrey (69 mins).

Referee: Damian Hancock (Dublin)