DUNDALK had to come from behind to claim an away victory at local rivals Drogheda United.

 

It was a brave showing by bottom of the table Drogheda against their high-flying neighbours. Dundalk came back from a goal down at the break to level matters in the second half and win it with a late effort six minutes from time.

Dundalk made all the running in the opening twenty minutes as Mark Quigley sent a header wide and shortly afterwards clipped a shot over the bar. The visitors were then denied by the woodwork when Keith Ward’s shot came back off the post before Daniel Kearns effort was saved by Stephen Trimble.

In their first attack of the match United went close to scoring when Brian Gannon sent a ball into the box which Daniel Corcoran only just failed to get a touch on that would have sent it to the net.

However, in their next move forward the home side did open their account when Corcoran picked up the ball from Mark Nolan’s long throw before driving his shot past Peter Cherrie.

In the closing stages of the half Stephen McDonnell’s shot wasn’t far away to restoring parity while at the other end Cherrie flapped at Sean Hand’s free as the ball rebounded off the unknowing Victor Ekanem and wide.

Dundalk began the second half brightly with Kearns flashing his shot narrowly wide and Quigley rapping his header off the bar. Kearns then sent a dangerous ball across the six yard line that merely required a touch to send it home.

The visitors did eventually draw level just short of the hour when Colin Hawkins met Ross Gaynor’s corner and powered his header to the net.

Corcoran then drew the best from Cherrie who brilliantly stopped his powerful strike as the home side went close to restoring their advantage.   Meanwhile at the other end Jason Byrne, who was having a quiet enough evening by his standards, curled a shot round the post as Dundalk almost hit the front for the first time.

With six minutes remaining the north Louth side grabbed a winner and the bragging rights for the foreseeable future following some very poor defending by the home side when Gaynor chased a lost cause and clipped the ball into pint sized Daniel Kearns who sent a looping header to the net.        

Drogheda United: Trimble, Nolan, Hand, McNally, Ekanem, M O’Brien (Flynn 85), Quigley, Gannon, Corcoran (C O’Brien 72), Hanaphy, Freeman.  

Dundalk: Cherrie, Madden, Hawkins, Hector, Kearns, Quigley, Byrne, Gaynor, Murphy, McDonnell, Ward (Breen 72).

Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork)