Shamrock Rovers 3 Drogheda Utd 1:SHAMROCK ROVERS put their recent poor form behind them and got back to winning ways with a victory over Drogheda United at Tallaght Stadium last night.
Gary McCabe’s first half goal and a second-half double from Gary Twigg secured the points before Declan O’Brien netted a consolation goal for the visitors late in the game.
Looking to bounce back from last week’s 3-0 hammering away at league leaders Sligo Rovers, the Tallaght side started this game with a positive attitude and they created several early chances.
Gary O’Neill shot narrowly wide on five minutes while a superb move on 11 minutes saw McCabe play a perfect pass to Kerrea Gilbert deep on the right. Gilbert drilled a brilliant low pass into the box were both Twigg and Gary O’Neill were waiting but the Drogheda defence managed to clear the ball before either of the Rovers’ front men could do any damage.
Rovers continued the good work and on 14 minutes Twigg headed narrowly over from a fine Billy Dennehy inswinger.
A Dennehy free kick, awarded after a foul on McCabe by Derek Prendergast, was blocked by the Drogheda ‘wall’ on 25 minutes.
The visitors failed to clear properly and when the ball came to Killian Brennan outside the area, he rifled a fine shot inches over the top right corner of the net.
Rovers were thoroughly on top at this stage and they deservedly went ahead on 31 minutes.
Oscar Jansson’s long clearance was knocked down for O’Neill who slipped the ball to McCabe who smashed a low shot from the right of the area past helpless Drogheda goalkeeper Gabriel Sava.
Drogheda had chances of their own and Seán Brennan and Prendergast both went close for the visitors but neither could find the target.
It was very nearly 2-0 to Rovers on 41 minutes when McCabe put Stephen Rice in on goal but Prendergast was in the right place to head the ball away.
Jansson saved well from Derek O’Brien’s fierce shot for Drogheda on 41 minutes but the flag instantly went up when Tiernan Mulvenna had strayed into an offside position.
Then on 43 minutes Sava saved well from Twigg’s header but Dennehy was ruled offside when he slotted in the rebound.
Rovers played the better football as the second half began and soon doubled their lead. That second goal came on 55 minutes when Twigg brought down McCabe’s cross, played a one-two with O’Neill and stroked the ball past Sava for his 11th league goal of the season.
Sava prevented Twigg from putting Rovers even further ahead on 58 minutes with a point-blank save following a glorious through ball from O’Neill.
The woodwork then denied Killian Brennan on 76 minutes when the Rovers midfielder smashed in a cracking 30-yard free kick.
Twigg capped an excellent night’s work up front for the home side when netting his second of the night on 82 minutes with a close range header after Ken Oman’s initial effort was blocked on the line, before O’Brien netted a late consolation goal for Drogheda.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Jansson; Powell, Oman, Sives, Gilbert (Gannon h/t); Dennehy, K Brennan, Rice, McCabe (McCormack 87 mins); Twigg, O’Neill (Kavanagh 84 mins).
DROGHEDA UNITED: Sava; Hand, Prendergast, McNally, Foley; S Brennan (Marshall 72 mins), R Brennan, Crowley (O’Brien 64 mins), G Brennan; O’Brien, Mulvenna (Hynes 63 mins).
Referee: A Kelly (Cork).
