League of Ireland Review (Week 3)

Shamrock Rovers 2-0 St Patrick’s Athetic:

Goals from Chris Turner and Ken Oman gave Shamrock Rovers a two goal win over St Pats in front of a 5,913 crowd and maintained Shamrocks 100% start to the season. Turner put the hoops in front after eleven minutes with a 25-yard shot that flew past Gary Rodgers who had no chance. Rogers saved a penalty from Gary McCabe on 45 minutes but could do nothing when Ken Oman headed home to seal the win for the Dublin side on the 82 minute .

 

Dundalk 0-0 Bohemians:

Dundalk and Bohemians played out a thrilling scoreless draw at Oriel Park with both sides leaving the pitch feeling that they could have taken all three points.In the end though a point apiece was probably the fairest outcome. Bohs had the better chances to win the game but Dundalk were left feeling aggrieved after Daniel Kearns had what looked like a stonewall penalty appeal waved away in the 85th minute.

 

Bray Wanders 0-0 Sligo Rovers:

There were no goals but plenty of action in an entertaining stalemate at the Carlisle Grounds as league hopefuls Sligo Rovers were held by Bray Wanderers.Both teams struck the goal frame early in each period but couldn’t find the vital score. The visitors dominated possession only to be met by a staunch rearguard action by their Wicklow opponents

 

Drogheda United 2-2 Derry City:

Two goals in the space of three minutes mid-way through the second half saw Drogheda United fight back from 2-0 down to snatch their first point of the season.Colin O’Brien’s brilliant strike got the Boynesiders back into it after goals either side of half-time from Eamon Zayed and Gareth McGlynn for the visitors, and then O’Brien won the penalty from which David Freeman grab a well-deserved equaliser.The Candystripes enjoyed a dream start as they made the breakthrough from their very first attack. Emmet Friars picked out the run of winger Stephen McLaughlin and he advanced unchallenged before sliding a pass into the feet of Zayed who couldn’t miss from six yards.Drogheda looked shaky in the early stages and Zayed could have doubled his and Derry’s tally on 11 minutes, but pulled his shot well wide from just inside the box.Then Daniel Lafferty got free in the box and flicked a Ruairi Harkin corner goalwards, only for a defender to boot the ball off the line.The home side played some tidy football but didn’t threaten the opposition goal until the 23rd minute when Colin O’Brien exchanged passes with David Freeman before firing wide of Gerard Doherty’s right-hand post from 25 yards.Derry responded with their best spell of the half as Zayed forced a good save from David Quirke, Lafferty headed over from inside the six-yard box and then Zayed powered a header against the crossbar from a Ruairi Harkin assist.However, Drogheda almost levelled in first-half stoppage time as Doherty saved Gareth Whelan’s powerful header from a corner and Brian Gannon’s follow-up from the rebound flew narrowly wide.The hosts were quick out of the blocks in the second half also as Dinny Corcoran was put through on goal by Freeman, only for Derry centre-half Shane McEleney to get back and make a vital tackle.It was a key moment, for the Candystripes doubled their advantage in the 54th minute when McGlynn took the ball down 20 yards out and hooked a super shot to the top corner.Incredibly, Drogheda were back on level terms within 11 minutes. First, Colin O’Brien’s brilliant first-time shot from 20 yards gave Doherty no chance from just outside the box.Then Derry centre-halves Patrick McEleney and Emmet Friars got into a tangle and Colin O’Brien nipped in between them, only to be brought down by Doherty in the box.Freeman confidently stroked the resulting penalty to Doherty’s left to make it 2-2.Shots from Mark O’Brien and Philip Hand were scrambled clear as Drogheda briefly threatened to conjure a winner, but the visitors reasserted themselves and there was previous little goalmouth action in the final quarter.Friars headed over the Drogheda crossbar in the 83rd minute, while Gareth Whelan shot into the side netting for the hosts, but a draw was a fair result.

 

Galway United 0-0 U.C.D

Galway United and UCD both failed to rattle the net at Terryland Park in a game that featured two splendid goalkeeping displays.

 

 

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