Not an easy task with Shelbourne cruising in the points atmosphere considerably above, but still within touching distance of the rest. If in the unlikely event the Drogs could arrest the forward momentum of their rivals everybody but Shels would stand to benefit.
Languishing second from bottom with only one win to their credit all season, glimpses of the dark clouds of relegation are beginning to make their presence fell over Weaver, even though the season has not reached the quarter way mark.
I arrived at the game, wholly unconvinced that Kevin Doherty's men would get at anything other than a respectable defeat, at best. The side can put up a gusty fight, it can fly with so much promise but it's flight is so often a false dawn, Once in front of goal the flying stops and the flapping starts. Paddy had a different take. He sensed that there was something that could be got from this game. Hope dies last was the thought that struck me upon hearing that.
As things turned out, Paddy had it right. The Drogs mounted fierce opposition, captain Gary Deegan - with a hair cut that would not look out of place in a Soviet penal colony mug shot - leading from the front and making the precision timed tackles which, if they are misjudged, can lead to a straight red. After two scoreless draws, first against Pats followed by a second at Oriel Park, where the the forward line didn't do much for confidence, it was uplifting to have bagged a goal even if in time honoured fashion the defence decided to have sympathy for their rivals. Kevin Doherty had spotted the problem and changed his forward line, leaving out Zishim Bawa and Frantz Pierrot. That initiative was rewarded with a first half payout. The feeling of being short changed, however, set in on the cusp of half time when poor defending allowed the visitors to pull level.
Down but not out, the Drogs came out after the break, revitalised. A deflected free kick had them in front, a lead they held until the dying minutes of the game. I had said to Paddy that once we reached the 40 minute mark we could dare to hope. It had the hex effect. Shortly after taking that sigh of relief a sucker punch knocked the wind clean out of us. Again, poor Drogheda defending allowed for a soft goal, leaving the home fans deflated, a mood of despondency mirrored on the pitch by the forlorn Drogheda players. The Shels are not top of the league because they can't spot vulnerability. They sensed that as each half was drawing to a close the Weaver Wizards were losing their magic, the will to win not matched by their concentration levels. In the 94th minute, Shels pounced.
Then came the flare up. Shels were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area. As they prepared to take it, a match official was hit by a flare. The game was postponed for fifteen minutes, stripping it of all rhythm and fluency.. When play resumed, the status quo remained and both teams left the pitch points shared. The Drogs would have gladly settled for a point prior to the game but by the final whistle they knew it was theirs for the taking, two points dropped rather than one gained.
That is the second Drogheda game I have attended where flares have caused play to be halted and the players escorted from the field. On each occasion the Drogheda fans were not responsible. Last year's cup final was also disrupted for a short time as a result of flares. The search procedure on the way into the ground, thankfully not being intrusive, nevertheless fails to stop the flares getting through. Whether we like it or not flares are a feature of the fan culture in the Irish game which is not going to be easy to eradicate. Some fans try to use them responsibly while others, as demonstrated last evening, weaponise them.
Perhaps soccer management might come to an arrangement with the ultras of each club whereby flares can be purchased via the club by those with a Garda and club issued licence for doing so. Anybody else in possession of them could be treated the same as someone bringing a knife into a ground. The understanding would be that their usage mush never extend to them becoming projectiles and hurled onto the pitch. Hand held use only. The principle of buyer beware might apply - be careful who you distribute them to. Because once you purchase responsibility is yours.
Flares are dangerous and should ultimately be phased out of the game much like indoor smoking has. But while they continue to be part of a fan culture they should not be allowed to become an offensive weapon. We should not have to wait on a blinded child for that awareness to sink in.
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