Drogs ⚽ Derry ⚽ Lapse

Anthony McIntyre ⚽ Simply not the best is the most apt way to describe Drogheda's United's inability to overcome the team they beat in last year's FAI Cup Final, Derry City.

Falling yet again to a late sucker punch, the Drogs squandered a slender lead in the ninetieth minute of a match they seemed to have won. They did not leave the field empty handed but they left it with two points less in the bag than they should have. We have seen it so often, that when the dusk moment of a match arrives the fans get anxious, they know the frailties so well.

While four of us made the journey over, it was not our usual make up. Jay's buddy Oisin took up Ronan's vacated spot and joined us for the game. Pity that he got the type of result that Drogheda served up. On the way over Jay resumed his predictions: 1-0 to the Drogs. He came so close to nailing it, right up to the end of the game.

That the Drogs continue with a brand of football that is clearly not delivering is a source of irritation. As poor as they were at times last season they seemed to have something up front, the eye for goal of Douglas James Taylor, the bustling presence of Frantz Pierrot. There was something the rest of the team could build towards. Despite a good start to the season, they now seem rudderless, having become overly reliant on the young frame of teenage striker Warren Davies while not yet getting the best from DJT or Thomas Oluwa whose wayward efforts on the Derry goal suggest he has quite some ground to cover. His best performance at Drogheda's ground came in a Wexford shirt in last year's cup tie. There will have been a collective sigh of relief that Davis has signed a two year contract. Likewise, coach Kevin Doherty - that will keep both of them at Sullivan & Lambe Park until 2027.

It matters little how creative a midfield is if the way the game is set up leads them to play the crab, made infamous by Butch Wilkins. The integration between midfield and forwards is short of a few cogs, so there sems to be a persistent lack of synchronised play. Round and round they go but . . .

Paddy has homed in on the ability of the Drogs to play well when they loosen up, use up more of the park, desist from relying on the counter. He watched some of the televised game against Shels on Monday evening where they managed a 0-0 draw away - always a success when they are the visitors but not when they are on their home turf - and felt that they blossomed as their confidence increased against a somewhat depleted Shelbourne.

Against Derry, the side should never have set back, allowing the Candy Stripes far too much possession after Elicha Ahui had put them ahead five minutes before half time. Even then they almost got away with it but for a stroke of misfortune. Ryan Brennan who recently saved Drogheda blushes against Cork City with a late penalty found his luck had run out this time. A long range effort from Dom Thomas that Luke Dennison would normally have stopped took a wicked deflection off the Drogheda captain and made its way over the goal line. The Drogs side of the stadium emitted the type of sound made by an large balloon that just had its air released. We were deflated. The Derry wans, well they were delighted and made the long trip home in much more buoyant mood than we did. On this occasion my hip flask was not much of a consolation.

What makes things so frustrating is that in many of the games the other side has not really seized the initiative but has been gifted it by the Drogs. A few weeks ago the Claret and Blue headed the table. The Derry result has seen them plummet to fifth. The draw at Shels helped them climb to fourth and if they can overcome Bohemians at home tomorrow evening, they will move into third, possibly second depending on how Derry performs.

Ominously for the chasing pack, Shamrock Rovers have now carved out a five point lead.

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