Douglas Hall 0 Drogheda Utd 3: DROGHEDA UNITED booked their place in the fourth round of the FAI Cup at Turner's Cross last night, despite a brave performance from Munster Senior League side Douglas Hall.

The non-league outfit made the better start, with Ronan Stanton and Kevin Mulcahy going close early on.

But Drogheda eventually settled and took the lead after 27 minutes when an Adam Hughes shot from 20 yards found the bottom right-hand corner of the Hall net. The visitors doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute and again it was Hughes who did the damage, courtesy of a sweetly-struck half-volley from the edge of the box.

Six minutes after the restart, the game was over as a contest. Ollie Cahill's corner from the left was met by Drogheda centre-half Shaun Maher, and he headed the ball emphatically beyond the dive of Adrian O'Donovan to score his first goal for the club.

Eamon Zayed and substitute Guy Bates had chances to increase Drogheda's lead in the second-half but both were denied by the excellent O'Donovan. Paul Doolin's men were never threatened and they comfortably held out to secure their last-16 place.

DOUGLAS HALL: A O'Donovan; Moore, Long, McSorley, Wilkinson (O'Shea, 78 mins), Hackett (Bowen, 45 mins); Stanton, Cullinane, O'Connell (Moreland, 57 mins), Mulcahy; G O'Donovan.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Vilmunen; Gavin, Maher, Gartland, Kendrick (Tambouras, 74 mins); Hughes, Byrne (Clarke, 90 mins), Ristila; Zayed, Thiam (Bates, 45 mins), Cahill.

Referee: A Kelly (Cork).