Drogheda United 2 St Patrick's Athletic 0 With seven winners' medals, few people are better qualified than Paul Doolin to comment on what is required to win a cup and when the Drogheda United manager observed on Thursday that luck was right up close to the top of the list, it is clear that the Dubliner knew what he was talking about.
Not that his opposite number John McDonnell can feel entirely hard done by after seeing the home side ease into the quarter-finals of this year's competition. They say you make your own luck in football and two second-half howlers by his goalkeeper that handed goals to John Lester and Declan O'Brien were primarily responsible for the struggling Dublin club's misfortune last night.
McDonnell's concerns had seemed more pressing at the other end of the pitch before last night's game. With Tony Bird now playing for last night's hosts, and a string of his more experienced strikers laid up with one ailment or another, he was obliged to opt for Paul Osam up front as a partner for young Robbie Smith, while Keith Fahey provided support from just behind the pair.
The midfielder, in what was perhaps his last crack at winning a cup, certainly floated in and out of the United penalty area with the air of a man who had seen and done it all, but on a couple of occasions, you sensed, his legs couldn't quite get him to where he needed to be.
Last night he was repeatedly left to chase half-chances as his team-mates struggled to turn a fairly even share of the play into clear-cut chances in front of goal and the Dubliners were 2-0 down before he finally forced a save from Gary Rogers. His side's best opportunity before then came just 10 minutes in with Fahey's ball from the right reaching Colm Foley on the six-yard box, but his tame effort with the outside of his boot hopped tamely into the arms of Rogers.
At the other end Bird, a target for abuse from the visiting fans all night, wasn't having the best of times. Out wide, though, Gary Cronin was having a much more productive evening and his crosses from the left were providing Foley and Darragh Maguire with a steady supply of work.
But for all their efforts Declan O'Brien should have given the home side the lead 13 minutes before the end of the first half when a perfectly judged Cronin ball found him in space just eight yards out but his header went inches wide of the left-hand post.
The goalkeeper was less fortunate eight minutes after the break when his error handed Lester an unlikely long-range goal. The visitors brought it all on themselves with Chris Adamson and Stephen Quigley both going for the same loose ball out towards the corner flag. The goalkeeper assumed responsibility for the situation but his clearance upfield was sent weakly towards Lester who promptly headed into an empty net from close to 40 yards out.
Iit was to go from bad to worse for the travelling supporters. First, Stephen Quigley was rather harshly sent off for a challenge on O'Brien 20 minutes into the second period. Then, the resulting free-kick led to a corner and from it the goalkeeper's fumble allowed O'Brien to force the ball home with his head from less than a yard out as visiting players protested that the ball had been taken from the former West Brom player's arms.
One man and two goals down, St Patrick's made a vain attempt to salvage something late on and Maguire did force Danny O'Connor to clear off the line towards the end. United, though, could have had a couple more themselves late on and, after this, they'll fancy their prospects against anyone on home turf in the next round.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Rogers; Flanagan, O'Connor, Gray, Sandvliet; Whelan, Lester, Molloy, Cronin (Reilly, 65 mins); Bird (Myler, 70 mins), O'Brien.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Adamson; Foley, Quihley, Maguire; Dunne, Casey, El Khebir (Bell, 72 mins), Byrne; Fahey; Smith, Osam (Quinn, 90 mins).
Referee: P McKeon (Dublin).
