DROGHEDA UNITED and Dundalk will replay on Tuesday night after a 1-1 draw at United Park in a keenly contested FAI Ford Cup fourth round tie.

They have to do it all again as the Louth derby finished level after a game of two halves. Drogheda were magnificent in a first half where they should have booked their passage to the last eight.

Yet with just a solitary goal to their credit you always had a feeling that they’d ultimately pay the price for a host of missed opportunities and that’s precisely what happened just before the break.

United’s Stephen Quigley felled Mark Griffin in the box, he was sent off and Mark Quigley converted the spot kick to level matters and seemingly hand the initiative to the visitors.

However, in a low key second half ten-man Drogheda showed the greater determination and commitment and were well worth a second opportunity.  

Drogheda totally dominated for forty minutes where they wouldn’t have been flattered to hit the net on three or four occasions. However, they only managed a solitary goal which arrived after five minutes when keeper Peter Cherrie under pressure pushed the ball out to Dave Rogers who drove a superb hot through a crowded goalmouth to the net.

Almost immediately after conceding Cherrie had to be at his best twice more in quick succession when he saved from Mark O’Brien and got a block on another effort from the same player to keep his side in the match.

Mark Quigley with a rare opportunity rattled the bar for the visitors, however, Dinny Corcoran, Brian Gannon and Tiarnan Mulvenna all had chances for the home side to extend their advantage.

The whole mood of the night turned in the final minute of the first half with that sending off, penalty and goal as the second half turned out to be a total anti-climax as Drogheda coped easily with anything Dundalk had to offer.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Duggan, Quigley, Hand, McNally, Rogers, Lynch, O’Brien, Gannon, Corcoran (White 80), Mulvenna, Brennan.

DUNDALK: Cherrie, Madden, Bennett (Ward 62), Hawkins, McHugh, Kearns, Quigley, Gaynor, Murphy, Bolger, Griffin (Byrne 62).

Referee: D. Hancock (Dublin)