Video
Details
Date | Time | League | Season |
---|---|---|---|
28 July 2023 | 7:45 pm | LOI Men's Premier Division | 2023 |
Match Report
Drogheda comeback to deny Bit O’Red
Second-half goals from Adam Foley and Dayle Rooney help Drogheda come from two goals down to salvage a draw against Sligo Rovers at Weaver’s Park this evening.
A goal from Stefan Radosavljevic and an own goal from Conor Keeley had the Bit O’ Red two to the good before the late comeback from the Boynesiders.
In the opening stages of this tense encounter, the ball spent as much time in the air as it did on the ground, with neither side willing to make an early mistake.
Seven minutes into the game Kailin Barlow had a sighter from the right of the Drogheda box, with his effort being fumbled by Andrew Wogan, who was lucky Manu Adegboyega was on hand to clear the danger.
The game reverted to its scrappy state after this half-chance and this fraught contest mainly played out in the middle third of the pitch.
Then out of nothing, Sligo Rovers were in front thanks to Stefan Radosavljevic.
Kailin Barlow collected the ball halfway into the Drogheda half and slipped in David Cawley who made a clever run past the Drogheda defence. Cawley took his time but then fired his shot off the post. Luckily it ended up at the feet of Stefan Radosavljevic who fired the ball into the net despite the best efforts of Luke Heeney on the line.
The early stages of the second half were as broken as the first half and neither team could hold onto the ball, never mind create a chance of note.
But then the evening got worse for Drogheda when Radosavljevic’s delivery from a free kick from the right side of Drogheda’s box was turned into his own goal by Conor Keeley on the hour mark.
Drogheda responded well and got a goal back eight minutes later through a mix-up between the defence and keeper.
A hoisted ball over the top bounced between McNicholas and his defence which allowed Darragh Markey to nip between the pair, acrobatically throwing himself at the ball in an attempt to score past the keeper. The Sligo keeper did enough to stop Markey’s effort but Foley was on hand to dive and head the ball into the empty net.
The game was level in the seventy-seventh minute when a diagonal ball into the box was met by the head of Drogheda substitute Warren Davis, who found Dayle Rooney flying in at the back post to complete the comeback despite a defender on the line.
The first half was scrappy and disjointed with few chances. The second half was scrappy and disjointed but with lots of chances.
Timeline
9' | Lukas Browning-Lagerfeldt | |
45' | Kailin Barlow Frank Liivak | |
45' | John Mahon Garry Buckley | |
46' | 18. Stefan Radosavljevic | |
22. Conor Keeley | 59' | |
Darragh Noone Aaron McNally | 62' | |
Kyle Robinson Warren Davis | 62' | |
11. Adam Foley | 68' | |
73' | Stefan Radosavljevic Pedro Martelo | |
8. Dayle Rooney | 77' | |
90+6' | David Cawley James Finnerty |
Past Meetings
(First Round)
2 - 1FAI Cup
Weavers Park Drogheda United FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
(Round 10)
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC 1-1 Drogheda United FC |
(Round 3)
1 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United FC 1-0 Sligo Rovers FC |
(Round 29)
2 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers 2-0 Drogheda United |
(Round 21)
0 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United v Sligo Rovers |
(Round 12)
3 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Drogheda United |
(Round 5)
0 - 3LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United v Sligo Rovers |
(Series 33)
2 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Drogheda United |
(Series 26)
0 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United v Sligo Rovers |
(Series 15)
1 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers v Drogheda United |
(Series 8)
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United v Sligo Rovers |
0 - 0LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Drogheda United FC |
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
4LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
2LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Drogheda United FC |
3 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
2LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Drogheda United FC |
1 - 2LOI Men's Premier Division
Weavers Park Drogheda United FC v Sligo Rovers FC |
1 - 1LOI Men's Premier Division
The Showgrounds Sligo Rovers FC v Drogheda United FC |
Ground
Weavers Park |
---|
United Park, Cross Lane, Fair Gate, The Borough District of Drogheda, County Louth, Leinster, A92DKR0, Ireland |
Finnerty comes on for Cawley
SIX minutes of added time
McNally burst down the right and feeds Davis whose shot is just saved by the fingertips of McNicholas.
2-2! Davis heads a diagonal ball into the box back across for the onrushing Rooney who does enough to power his header past McNicholas.
Martelo comes on for Radosavljevic
Yellow for Davis for a supposed elbow on Pijnaker
Foley dives to header the ball after Markey's stretching was saved by a hesitant McNicholas. Game on!
Warren and Markey link up nicely on the edge of the Sligo box and Markey gets a shot away from outside the area. McNicholas saves the effort comfortably yet again
Noone and Robinson are replaced by Aaron McNally and Warren Davis
Straight away after the tip-off Robinson gets down the left and sets up Weir in the box, but his strike was directly at McNicholas and the keeper saves it well.
2-0 TO SLIGO! Conor Keeley gets the last touch on a Radosavljevic free-kick delivery
Pijnaker is back on his feet and able to play on, greeted by jeers and boos from the home fans.
Pijnaker is down again, this time with a head injury. The Sligo players want the referee to brandish a card for Robinson's aerial dual with the New Zealander but nothing doing.
Liivak is immediately booked for a late tackle in the Drogheda half.
Liivak and Buckley come on for Barlow and Mahon at half time.
And we are back underway.
HALF TIME: Sligo takes a lead into half-time thanks to Stefan Radosavljevic. Drogheda have been outplayed so far in this game even though the goal came from a moment of class from Barlow and a bit of luck with the shot from Cawley hitting the post. A big shift needed from the home side if they want to change the outcome of this game.
Sligo have been the better team in this game so far. Drogheda look frustrated. Sligo get the ball from a throw-in in the right Drogheda corner and find Kailin Barlow who flashes a ball across the face of goal.
Robinson heads wide from a ball in from the left but looked to have been held before he jumped for the ball. Pijnaker can consider himself a little but lucky
Foley is shown yellow for a late tackle on Pijnaker.
1-0 TO SLIGO! Barlow plays Cawley through with a brilliant pass that split the defence. Cawley shoots and hits the post but Radosavljevic is on hand to hit his shot back on target despite the best efforts of Heeney.
Robinson spins as he takes the ball down and lays it off to Adegboyega but the centre-back fires his shot high over the bar from twelve yards out. Best chance of the game.
After a spell that contained a few chances for both sides, the game has become very broken yet again. You can tell how important this game is for both sides.
Browning booked for a late tackle on Heeney
Nice flick in the box from Rooney towards Weir and the full-back crosses into the Sligo box. Sligo just about deal with the dangerous ball.
Barlow fires a shot at Wogan and although the chance spins out of the gloves of Wogan, Adegboyega cleans up mess
A very scrappy affair so far but Markey creates the first-half chance of the game playing Foley in. No real danger.
Sligo Rovers get the game underway!
Hello and welcome to coverage of the Premier Division of the League of Ireland. This evening at Weaver's Park we see Drogheda United hosting Sligo Rovers in a repeat of last Friday night. Conor Cantwell here ready to report on the action ahead.