Drogheda Utd 0 St Patrick's Athletic 0:A DISAPPOINTING affair of few clear-cut chances was dominated by St Pat's in terms of possession but they almost left Drogheda with nothing when Tiarnan Mulvenna rattled the upright four minutes from time with the best chance of the match.

Apart from a Jake Kelly shot early on for the visitors, the opening 20 minutes failed to produce another goal opportunity.

With their first meaningful attack on 23 minutes St Pat’s should have scored when Christy Fagan picked out James Chambers with a pinpoint cross but, with the target looming large, he headed over. In similar fashion a minute later Greg Bolger was on the end of Ian Bermingham’s delivery but again he was too high with the header.

After 29 minutes Drogheda’s Derek Prendergast tested visiting goalkeeper Brendan Clarke. Then Fagan at the other end raced clear of the home defence but he fired wide.

After the interval Chris Forrester’s shot tested Gabriel Sava and the striker then fired narrowly wide as St Pat’s turned the screw. Forrester lashed the ball into the side-netting from a James Chambers corner as the Saints’ dominance continued but after 86 minutes Mulvenna almost snatched a late winner for gutsy Drogheda.

DROGHEDA UTD: Sava, Quigley, Prendergast, McNally, Mulvenna (Breen, 90 mins), S Brennan (M O’Brien, 75 ), G Brennan, Grimes, Gannon, D O’Brien (Hynes, 83), Foley.

ST PATRICK’S ATH: Clarke, O’Brien, Kenna, Browne, Bermingham, Chambers, Russell (Meenan, 81 mins), Bolger, Forrester, Fagan (Daly, 85), J Kelly (D Kelly, 63).

Referee: D Tomney (Dublin).