2 v 0 
Drogheda UtdDetails
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 July 2021 | 7:45 pm | LOI Men's Premier Division | 2021 |
Match Report
Pat’s keep up pressure at the top
St. Patrick’s Athletic go second after they brushed aside Drogheda in Richmond Park with a 2-0 win.
Chris Forrester opened the score on the hour mark after some good set up play by Burns, who was arguably man of the match in sunny Inchicore.
The Drogs defended well for periods but never threatened and Robbie Benson finished the game in the 78th minute with a cool finish past David Odumosu.
Despite starting the game lethargically, the Saints dominated the second half and the visitors looked spineless. Pats controlled the match as soon as they went ahead and saw out the three points in front of 1,000 spectators.
Drogheda had been disciplined up until the first goal with Dan O’Reilly and Dane Massey providing their usual solidarity.
They had settled for sitting back and tried to snatch a goal on the break, but once the hosts went ahead it was evident the Louth side were out of the contest.
The first half wasn’t much more than a feeling out process. It felt like there was an opportunity for some spells of possession for the away side but they weren’t brave and tried to move the ball up the pitch prematurely.
The hosts came out a new outfit in the second half. Forrester and Burns in particular shot into life when their team needed it, putting dangerous balls in the box and taking on their men. At this stage it became apparent that Drogheda needed bodies behind the ball to get something from the game.
Credit where credit is due though, Tim Clancy’s men worked very hard and it felt they might have the ability to see the game off at one point. It was the fact they had no real counter on the break that led them to be overwhelmed at the back. Young substitute Jordan Adeyemo couldn’t really get any space up top.
The Saints broke through on the hour when Burns teed it up for Forrester to tap it in. They doubled this lead when Robbie Benson scored from Matty Smith’s rebound after 78 minutes and it was game over.
Meanwhile Lee Desmond delivered a flawless performance in defence and keeper Vitezslav Jaros had excellent distribution. This win puts Pats in second and keeps them joint with Rovers on points after they also beat Derry tonight.
Timeline
| 27' | Chris Lyons Jordan Adeyemo | |
| 11. Matty Smith | 46' | |
| 8. Chris Forrester | 61' | |
| 64' | Luke Heeney Jake Hyland | |
| 64' | Mark Doyle Ronan Murray | |
| 11. Jason McClelland | 68' | |
| Billy King Ben McCormack | 75' | |
| 8. Robbie Benson | 78' | |
| 80' | Killian Phillips Dinny Corcoran | |
| Darragh Burns Ian Bermingham | 83' |
Past Meetings
Ground
| Richmond Park |
|---|
| Emmet Road, Kilmainham C ED, Dublin, Dublin 8, Leinster, D08 VK72, Ireland |
Con Sheehan
21 year old sports journalist from Drogheda. Student at Dublin City University. Drogheda United Correspondent for FinalWhistle.ie
Full-time in Inchicore. St. Pats 2-0 Drogheda United
Ian Bermingham takes the place of star man Darragh Burns for the home side
Dinny Corcoran replaces Kylian Phillips for Drogheda in a last roll of the dice
2-0 Pats! Matty Smith's shot saved by Odumosu but Robbie Benson took the rebound down calmly and tucked it away
Ben McCormack comes on in place of Billy King
McLelland booked
Clancy with a double change. Ronan Murray comes on for Mark Doyle and Jake Hyland replaces Luke Heeney
Goal for Pats! A brilliant ball from deep by Jason McLelland found Burns who squared it with great composure to Forrester leaving a tap in for the Saints midfielder. 1-0 Pats and much deserved at that. Pressure is on the Louth side to come out and play now
Brilliant defensive work from Conor Kane as he crucially heads it away from Burns at the back post. It seems like the men in claret and blue are finally happy to kill the game off while taking what they can get on the counter attack
If it wasn't for some disciplined defending by Drogheda, Pats could easily be ahead. Chris Forrester and Burns are looking sharp in this second-half.
Half-time at Richmond Park. 0-0
Huge chance for Burns deep into first-half stoppage time but he flashed his shot just wide of a relieved David Odumosu's post
Matty Smith booked for the Saints. He is now suspended for excessive yellows and will miss a game next week against Shamrock Rovers.
Still very even approaching the break. There is potential there for the visitors to start taking some spells of possession but they seem to be overly respectful so far and are looking to get rid of the ball prematurely. The hosts haven't been great but look like they could score at any moment
Good opportunity for Lee Desmond after a ball broke dangerously in the box from a Pat's corner. The defender couldn't steer it in however
Jordan Adeyemo comes on for top scorer Chris Lyons who you'd expect has some sort of knock in order to be taken off so early here
A water break now as the sun beams down onto the surface at Richmond Park, been a relatively uneventful half with no clear indication of who will take the three points
Pats have been the slightly better side in the opening 10 minutes but Drogheda have been positive and aren't letting the hosts have the freedom of possession. Kylian Phillips goes close with a shot from the edge just there
Big early sight at goal for Darragh Burns as he flashes over with a close range header following an inviting cross by Sam Bone
Drogheda get us underway in Dublin in front of 1,000 spectators
For the visitors it's a second consecutive unchanged team for Tim Clancy. Chris Lyons and Mark Doyle start again with 17 goals between them this season
Two changes for the home side. One of them being Lee Desmond who returns from suspension and takes the place of Jamie Lennon who is now suspended himself after Derry last week
Hi Con Sheehan here as St.Patrick's Athletic host Drogheda United in the SSE Airtricity League in Richmond Park. Just a couple of minutes until kick-off