League Report: Drogheda United 0 - 1 Bohemians

A Dan Byrne header fifteen minutes from time was enough to give Bohemians all three points against Drogheda United on Saturday evening.

The first chance of the game fell to Bohemians' Paddy Kavanagh as his effort from the edge of the box was palmed around the post by Stephen McGuinness.

Bohemians were on top in the early stages as Drogheda started slowly, but failed to make the most of the possession they had.

Drogheda began to come into the game on the quarter hour mark as Sean Thornton’s cross from the left was headed wide by Gareth McCaffrey.

Bohemians somehow managed to fail to hit the front on 26 minutes when a ball from the right was missed by everyone in the box before rolling along the Drogheda goal line. Colm Deasy cleared it before a Bohs player could tap it into an empty net.

Drogheda had a glorious chance of their own five minutes before the break. Sean Thornton received the ball and beat the last man but he took a couple of extra touches before shooting wide of the far post with the outside of his right foot.

Drogheda started the second half the brighter of the two sides and could have hit the front on 47 minutes. Sean Brennan played a brilliant through ball to Stephen Elliott but the former Ireland international could only hit his effort straight at Shane Supple.

Bohemians had four chances as many minutes just after the hour mark. First, Keith Ward’s through ball to Jamie Doyle was cut out by a last-ditch tackle before a superb block from Stephen Dunne denied Georgie Poynton.

A minute later Jamie Doyle was played in down the right but his low effort was saved by McGuinness.

Then came the best of the four chances as Doyle won the ball, worked his way into the box but had his effort saved by the feet of McGuinness, who was keeping Drogheda in the game.

Drogheda had a great chance to hit the front just minutes later when Thornton cut the ball back to Sean Brennan, who took the ball around a defender but instead of shooting, ran into what seemed like a sea of Bohs’ defender.

It would be Bohemians who scored the first and only goal of the game on 75 minutes. Lorcan Fitzgerald’s free kick from 40 yards was headed into the bottom corner of the Drogheda net by the unmarked Daniel Byrne.

That would prove to be the last real chance of the game as Bohs’ saw the game out for three points despite Drogheda’s best attempts to find an equaliser.

Drogheda United: Stephen McGuinness; Colm Deasy, Luke Gallagher, Ciaran McGuigan, Stephen Dunne; Sean Brennan (c) (Marc Griffin 78), Sean Thornton, Jake Hyland (Ryan McEvoy 81); Gareth McCaffrey, Stephen Elliott (Thomas Byrne 81), Gavin Brennan.

Unused Subs: Dylan Sweeney (gk), Lloyd Buckley, Jamie Hollywood, Shane Elworthy.

Booked: None.

Bohemians: Shane Supple; Derek Pender, Rob Cornwall, Dan Byrne, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Jamie Doyle, Georgie Poynton (Philip Gannon 78), Keith Ward (Steven Nolan 90), Ian Morris (Oscar Brennan 58), Kaleem Simon; Paddy Kavanagh.

Unused Subs: Greg Murray (gk), Stephen Best, Faud Sule, Dylan Hayes.

Booked: Rob Cornwall (17), Oscar Brennan (62).

Referee: Paul Tuite.

Attendance: 800 (estimate).

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Stephen McGuinness (Drogheda United).