A battling display from Drogheda United helped them earn their first win of the new Airtricity League season as they beat St Patrick’s Athletic 1-0 at Richmond Park on Friday evening.
 
The Saints only made one change to the team that drew with Bohemians earlier in the week as Damian Lynch replaced the injured Ian Bermingham at left-back.
 
For Drogheda, Paul Murphy started in goal, while Jamie Harris, Garreth O’Connor and Glen Fitzpatrick returned to Inchicore to face their former club.
 
It was the visitors who threatened first when Robbie Martin, who was playing in a unfamiliar left wing role, let rip from distance on 7 minutes, but Saints keeper Gary Rogers got down to gather it.
 
Neither team took control of the game in the first-half, so that resulted in both sides having an equal amount of chances on goal.
 
Brian Cash blasted over for the hosts after excellent work by Stuart Byrne and the former Sligo Rovers man came close again just moments later when he twisted his marker inside out before shooting tamely at Murphy.
 
As the play switched from one end to the other Drogheda could have taken the lead when the ball fell to Martin on the edge of the Saints penalty area, although his shot lacked power.
 
Pete Mahon was encouraging his team from the dug-out, but there was little he could do to inspire the league leaders as they cheaply surrendered possession on too many occasions.
 
However, it was the home team who played the better football overall. If only they could turn their spells of slick play into more commanding periods of domination.
 
Ryan Guy rattled the side netting after Lynch picked out the American, while Paul Crowley headed just over for the visitors before both teams went in at the break scoreless.
 
After the break, Rogers came to the rescue after a back pass from Conor Kenna almost led to an opening for the visitors. However, the Saints woke up after that and should have scored at least once.
 
Paul Byrne twice came close with headers, Guy should have done better when set free by Derek Pender, Stuart Byrne headed wide and Kenna had a shot blocked.
 
But Drogheda hung on and snatched a morale-boosting win when Eoghan Osbourne delightfully curled an injury-time free-kick into the bottom corner.
 
St Patrick’s Athletic: Rogers; Pender, Kenna, Guthrie, Lynch; Guy, S Byrne, Mulcahy, Cash (Coughlan 72); Faherty (Williams 81), P Byrne.
 
Substitutes Not Used: Connor, Haverty, McAllister.
 
Drogheda United: Murphy; King, McNally, Harris, Osbourne; Daly, O’Connor, Crowley, Martin (E McGill 90); Duffy (Flood 83), Fitzpatrick.
 
Substitutes Not Used: Skinner, Treacy, Brennan.
 
Referee: Richie Winter (Dublin)