Anthony McIntyre ⚽ The outcome didn't much matter.
Drogheda would still be in the play offs so, win, lose or draw at Tolka Park last night was pretty much academic. To my mind the most important thing was not the victory but emerging from the game with no players injured ahead of both the Cup final in two weeks time followed by a play off the following Saturday.
We arrived quite early and were in the ground for more than an hour before kick off. So early, in fact, that we were the first in. On the way in we spoke with some of the Shels stewards who were interested in the array of badges that adorn my Drogs beanie. I told them that the next one to go on was a Rangers badge, a Celtic one already in place. I got the type of look a Shamrock Rovers fan would have given Larne supporters in Belfast a few nights ago. It was banter even though I have asked a loyalist friend in Belfast to pick up an Ibrox disaster badge. He recently sent me a Glentoran one.
Not having been in Tolka Park before, I groaned when I realised it would be a night standing. There is no seating for away fans. Dalymount Park redux. With a constantly dodgy back compounded by a flare up of diverticulitis I longed for a seat, feeling that I would pay the price for a long stand the following morning. As it turns out, my back held up and I am ready to head off to the weekly vigil for Gaza in West Street before meeting a friend who will drop me at the Mater after our coffee to visit another friend who has run out of books to read.
On the way down in the car J made his ritual forecast, the Drogs to seize victory with the only goal of the game. That was upended in the eleventh minute when a lovely ball out of defence sent Sean Boyd haring out of his own half with the trailing posse unable to catch him. One-on-one with the keeper, he slotted it beyond reach, prompting delirium both on and off the pitch.
On the way down in the car J made his ritual forecast, the Drogs to seize victory with the only goal of the game. That was upended in the eleventh minute when a lovely ball out of defence sent Sean Boyd haring out of his own half with the trailing posse unable to catch him. One-on-one with the keeper, he slotted it beyond reach, prompting delirium both on and off the pitch.
Shelbourne ran the first half and the Drogs laboured to get moving, looking very weak on their left flank as time after time through-balls followed by whipped in crosses put them under pressure. Nevertheless, the Shels must have went into the dressing room for the break disappointed and apprehensive that they had not increased their lead, knowing that a victory would bring them close to the finishing line.
After the break it seemed that the claret and blue might make it uncomfortable for the Tolka side. Poor distribution by the Shels keeper gifted an opportunity for Drogheda to level the score but the chance went amiss. My lips watered not just at the soccer but the group of four a step in front of me sharing a quarter bottle of Fireball whiskey. Not so long ago I never went to a game without a hip flask of the uisce beatha, but suspended alcohol intake in July upon return from Majorca where the great goddess Tequila was worshipped with devotion. Come cup final day, the hip flask will be retrieved from cold storage, flushed, then filled with Olmeca.
Nine minutes into the second half and the Shels wee in front. Rayhaan Tulloch, whose superb ball out of defence had made the first goal, added his own name to the scoresheet. At that point it looked like game over and the Tolka men could relax. The Weavers side had something to say about that as they took to the offensive. Twelve minutes later they had pulled one back. Substitute Bridel Bosakani seemed to have fluffed his chance by dallying on the ball delivered to him by Adam Foley, but then curled an exquisite shot to the right of the keeper and into the corner of the net right in front of our eyes. For that alone it was worth standing for around three hours.
After that Shels had it all to do. Myself and Paddy concurred that the Drogs could play with abandon as nothing was riding on the outcome whereas the home side simply could not afford to lose given the late surge by Shamrock Rovers.
On the final whistle, we left not in the slightest disappointed. The result changed nothing and the Drogs gave a good account of themselves, with the jingle of a delightful goal as part of the package. Drogheda host Dundalk at home next Friday in their last game of the season but with the fate of the visitors already decided little other than local pride is at stake, and that is not worth risking injury ahead of the deuce of big games coming up.
Shelbourne have one more match to play and win in order to clinch their first league title in eighteen years. Derry have fluffed it, finally bowing out as championship contenders last night when they lost to St Pat's. Only Shamrock Rovers, with a game in hand, can catch the Shels. That requires Damien Duff's side to lose the final game against Derry and the Hoops to win both of their remaining fixtures. The Brandywell side cannot win the title, and facing into a cup final in two week's time, it might be a lot to ask of them to over commit.
Shamrock Rovers have proved remarkably resilient but the safe money would be on them having left it too late. League Of Ireland soccer will benefit from a new champion merging to break the much earned dominance of Shamrock Rovers.
All that fades into the distance as the Drogs move to take centre stage at the Aviva.
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