Drogheda - 3 Galway United - 0:NATIONAL LEAGUE/Promotion-relegation play-off second-leg: As if to encapsulate a traumatic campaign, Drogheda United held onto Premier status in dramatic fashion as a Danny O'Connor goal in extra time earned them their biggest win of the season and salvation before a crowd of some 4,000 at O2 Park.
Struggling initially, Drogheda gradually wore down a gallant Galway to get the two goals they needed to square the tie in the second half and force extra time.
O'Connor then capped a man-of-the-match display by heading home the winner in the 105th minute after Andy Myler had touched on a Mark Dempsey free-kick.
"We knew that if we didn't concede early we always had a chance of getting back into it and we did," said the relieved Drogheda manager, Harry McCue.
"We've stayed up and I think we deserved to stay up."
For all their possession in an expectedly one-sided opening half, Drogheda were short on ideas against an organised, concentrated defence. They laboured in the final third before hitting a purple patch in the closing minutes of the half, though with no goal to show for it.
Their set-pieces were abysmal while, missing Myler (flu) from the start, they lacked ideas in front of goal, forcing Robbie Forde into just one key save.
That came on 43 minutes when a Dempsey cross fell for Shaun Gallagher, whose shot came off the legs of Forde, Quinless lifting the rebound way over the top.
A minute later Forde was left rooted to the spot as O'Connor's well struck 25-yard drive was kept out by the crossbar.
The game opened up in the second half and the turning point came on the hour: a Drogheda penalty converted by substitute Myler - on the pitch less than two minutes - after Fran Carter had tripped O'Brien.
A textbook goal then brought the equaliser eight minutes later; O'Connor's superb cross was met by the head of O'Brien and found the top corner in classic fashion.
David Goldby thought he had won it for Galway two minutes from the end of normal time but his goal was ruled out for offside.
Another twist came 12 minutes into extra time, when Drogheda's Quinless was sent off for a tackle from behind on Derek O'Brien.
Galway captain Mark Herrick netted again a minute later from a Tony Folan free kick but, once more, an offside flag went up.
"Five games in 15 days took their toll on us," said Tony Mannion, Galway's manager. "I think physically we lacked a little bit. Overall, they deserved it.
"We had two goals disallowed - why the second one was I don't know. But that happens. Drogheda were full value for their victory and congratulations to them."
DROGHEDA UNITED: Rogers; Gollogly, Lynch, Gray; Quinless, Tierney, O'Connor, Cronin; Gallagher (Myler 58 mins), O'Brien, Dempsey.
GALWAY UNITED: R Forde; Harty, Keady, Carter, Quirke; O'Brien, Herrick, Fortune (Brennan 85 mins), Folan; Moran (Goldby 68 mins), A. Murphy.
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
Paul Buttner
