Our season tickets this time around are for the Windmill Road side of the ground. That way we will always have shelter whereas on the other side where the Ultras gather it can be hit and miss. Arrive too late and the unfortunate fan can end up on the seats not covered by the roof. Not so bad when it is dry no matter how cold it might be. Different when it is raining.
The season tickets are on the phone whereas I liked having the physical card. Each year at the season end I place the by then redundant card in a Liverpool FC neck wallet as a memento. With luck, the hard copy of the ticket will still be available although there have been more than a few grumblings about the quality of service on offer from the club business and merch side of the operation.
The Drogs had made a good start the previous Friday away to Galway, claiming all thee points after a last minute goal. It was an art they applied to perfection against Dundalk at Oriel Park Friday past when they salvaged a point with a very late equaliser. It means they sit on seven points after three games, a tally they hope to increase this week when they meet Shelbourne at Sullivan and Lambe Park in two days time. Paddy and Jay might not make it for this one, being abroad at the minute and maybe too pressed for time when they arrive back on Friday.
By coincidence I happened to be in Galway where the Drogs sealed their opener but it was on a different day and not for the match. I hope to make more away games this season but with Cork relegated, two visits to Turners Cross are definitely not on the schedule. Always a good place to go and meet up with Joe for a drink and a match.
On this occasion five of us made the journey by car with Paddy at the wheel. Two of Jay's friends had tagged along. Jay predicted a 3-0 victory for the home team but it was something I never found out until the three predicted points were in the bag, having forgotten to ask him on the way over. He was so engrossed in conversation with his friends that both of us overlooked the traditional Jay prediction. While the margin of victory was a goal short of what he expected he was on the money about who would emerge on top.
Prior to the kick off against Waterford, there was a minute's applause for Damien Byrne a Drogs legend from the 1970s where he had featured in an FAI Cup final. Within three minutes of the kickoff there was even ore applause, this time very noisy - the Drogs had scored with a Shane Farrell effort. Eight minutes later the home side were on target again, on this occasion finding the net from a Mark Doyle strike. If Waterford made the journey to Leinster with their tails up following a decent draw against Shelbourne in their opening fixture, things didn't work out as anticipated. It takes a formidable side to come back from a two goal deficit inflicted so early in the game. Waterford were not that side.
While expectations of the claret and blue fans took a spike fuelled by a sense that Waterford might wilt having been stunned twice in quick succession and possibly facing a seven goal Sligo type collapse on an excursion to Sullivan And Lambe, the visitors pulled themselves together and steadied the ship. The scoreline remained the same for the next eighty minutes with Waterford at times seeming the more likely to find the net. Cian Barrett on loan from Shamrock Rovers was unfortunate to see his rasping effort from thirty years crash off the woodwork. Drogheda's main opportunity came from a surging run by substitute Dara Kareem.
The bulk of the just over 2000 spectators left the ground happy. With a daunting away visit to Oriel Park still a week away, six points from the opening two games was the best that could be expected, which has now increased to seven. That leaves them in second position, behind Bohemians only on goal difference. A fine performance by Drogheda who might have been more dominant had Ryan Brennan been in the midfield and Warren Davis in attack.
Next up, Shels. And the Dublin sides are never easy.
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