Sport

O'Brien's hat-trick rubs salt into the wounds of Dublin City

Dublin City 2 Drogheda United 3 Dublin City moved to within two points of being relegated after this defeat to Drogheda

Paul Buttner at Tolka Park
Fri Nov 05 2004 - 00:00

Dublin City 2 Drogheda United 3Dublin City moved to within two points of being relegated after this defeat to Drogheda. As if to add a further twist, should their former manager Roddy Collins's sudden arrival at Shamrock Rovers bring them a first win in 13 matches against Bohemians at Tolka Park tonight, then they will go down. It's a funny old game.

Their defence was breached as early as 14 seconds before conceding a second soft goal within a further three minutes. Both goals were scored by Drogheda's top scorer Declan O'Brien, restored to the starting eleven after a four-match injury absence. It got better for O'Brien, who completed his hat-trick early in the second half as Drogheda move to within a point of third-placed Bohemians.

City lost possession from their tip off and after Alan Reilly put O'Brien through on goal, the striker drew Barry Ryan off his line before sliding the ball home. The marking was non-existent minutes later when Myler fed O'Brien on the edge of the area and he had time and space to pick his spot.

Rattled, City regained their composure and creditably battled back into the match, pulling a goal back on 18 minutes. A mistake by Drogheda sweeper Aidan Lynch let Gary O'Neill in on goal and he raced through to chip the ball over Tony O'Dowd.

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O'Dowd then had to punch away from under his crossbar from Marc Kenny's viciously inswinging corner as City came right back into the game. Myler, however, should have restored the two-goal lead a minute before the break, but his side footer came back of Ryan's crossbar.

Drogheda duly scored a third goal within 90 seconds of the restart. Grant Cooper's tug at the shirt of the ebullient O'Brien was spotted by referee John Feighery's assistant on the far side. O'Brien sent City's substitute goalkeeper Robbie Horgan the wrong way from the penalty.

As dogged as their stand-in manager Dermot Keely, Dublin scored the goal of the night on 63 minutes to force a grandstand finish. Cathal O'Connor met Robbie Farrell's deep cross in from the right to find the bottom corner with a first-time volley.

The nerves were kept jangling until the end as O'Connor had a goal disallowed for a foul on O'Dowd while Adam Rundle shot inches wide.

Then, in stoppage time, O'Dowd made an amazing goal-line save from Rundle's thumping shot.