A POINT apiece in the end but Galway United will feel they should have won this one based on possession and chances created over the hour and a half.

Drogheda took the lead after seven minutes following a lovely move down the right. It all began deep in defence with Mark Nolan who sent the ball onto Mark O’Brien who in turn slipped it into David Freeman who delivered the telling pass to Philip Hand who guided the ball home.

Not long after the goal Hand swung a corner into the box which Brian Gannon met powerfully with his head, however, keeper Greg Fleming made the save. Gareth Whelan then sent a testing ball into the danger zone which Fleming flapped at only managing to push it out to Stephen McCrossan. With the keeper off his line, a little composure would have seen him score, instead he only managed to return the ball into the arms of a grateful net minder.

Though Galway enjoyed more than their fair share of possession and forced six corners to their opponent’s one in the first half, the visitors only created a solitary clear-cut opening. Karl Moore’s corner found Sean Kelly who was afforded the freedom of the park to pick his spot but guided his header over.

It was the Kelly show when Galway equalised early on in the second half as Shaun sent a wicked ball into the heart of the home defence which was only partially cleared to his namesake Sean who rattled the net from the edge of the box.

With five minutes remaining Galway had the ball in the net for what they believed to be the winner but an assitants flag turned Stephen Walsh's brief moment of joy to misery.

Drogheda United: Trimble, Nolan, Whelan, Gannon, Ekanen, Quigley (McNamara 83), McCrossan, O’Brien M (Flynn 74), Freeman(O’Brien C 68), Hanaphy, Hand.

Galway United: Fleming, Kelly (Shaun), Walsh, Kelly (Sean), Maher, Sinnott, Ryan (Keogh 80), Cash, Yoffe (Curran 53), Murphy (Duci 22), Moore.  

Referee: P. Tuite (Dublin)