Drogheda United 1 Shamrock Rovers 1:IF THIS were a boxing contest it would have been all over on points before the interval as Drogheda totally outplayed Rovers, yet went in at the break a goal down at United Park last night.
With time running out when it appeared the home side would take nothing from a contest they deserved to win, substitute Ibrahima Iyane Thiam sent a looping header from Joe Kendrick's cross over goalkeeper Robert Duggan to secure a share of the spoils for the home side.
Seldom have a side been so dominant for 45 minutes and yet trailed at the break. Drogheda totally outplayed Rovers and peppered their goal.
However, it was the Hoops who converted the solitary opportunity that came their way on 28 minutes when Seán O'Connor played a neat one-two with Tadhg Purcell before he rifled his shot to the bottom right corner of the net.
That the visitors goal remained intact was down to the heroics and shot-stopping of stand-in goalkeeper Duggan who made a string of outstanding saves before and after his side scored.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Vilmunen, Kendrick, Hughes, Bates (Iyane Thiam, 74), Shelley, Byrne, Zayed (O'Brien, 58), Keegan, Maher, Cahill, Kuduzovic.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Duggan, O'Brien, Madden, Price, Maguire, O'Connor, Doyle (Flynn, 74), Rice, Purcell, Ndo (Creevy, 74), O'Connor (Amond, 82).
Referee: D Tomney (Dublin)
