Drogheda United's day of woe continues against Shamrock Rovers
Drogheda United had a day to forget on and off the pitch as they lost 2-1 to Shamrock Rovers at home.
Just hours after the Court of Arbitration for Sport dismissed their appeal to overturn UEFA'S decision to expel them from the UEFA Conference League due to multi-club ownership regulations, this defeat left them clinging onto a top-three spot in the Premier Division.
Goals from Grahm Burke and Aaron Greene – neither strangers to finding the net against the Drogs – won the game for in-form Rovers, who have a nine-point lead at the summit now.
On an evening at Sullivan and Lambe Park that had a very peculiar feel to it, Drogheda could not find a result to salve their European pain.
Kevin Doherty was without both Elicha Ahui and Owen Lambe so Kieran Cruise – formerly of Rovers – made his full league debut. Ryan Brennan and Warren Davis were left out as the Drogs shuffled their pack on an emotive evening.
Stephen Bradley went even further, making seven changes from their victory over champions Shelbourne on Friday that maintained their six-point lead at the summit. With only Adam Matthews absent through injury, the Rovers boss enjoys a luxury in squad depth no other side in the country can compete with.
Lee Grace, Dylan Watts and Burke were among the frontline players brought back into the starting XI.
Neil Doyle got the game underway a little over two hours after it was confirmed that Drogheda would not take their place in Wednesday's draw for the second qualifying round in Nyon.
Club officials were due to fly to Switzerland to attend the draw at UEFA HQ but those plans, and those of United supporters planning to follow their team on the continent next month, have been curtailed.
The club statement issued on Monday afternoon struck tones both apologetic and defiant. There was no sense that the Drogs were feeling sorry for themselves in the early stages of the match.
Roared on by a home crowd who sang and cheered with gusto, including a chant cursing European football's governing body, they began like a team hellbent on showing they could compete with a team like Rovers who qualified for the Conference League knockout stages last season.
George Cooper scored his first Drogs goal inside four minutes, rising high to meet Shane Farrell's corner and plant a header into the net. He left marker Joshua Honohan on the ground en route to connecting with the delivery.
The hosts were putting their bodies on the line at the other end too. A series of well-timed defensive headers and blocks denied Rovers an immediate route back into the game. Luke Dennison made a fine save from Trevor Clarke before Burke and Watts had sights of goal too.
Farrell and Douglas James-Taylor went mightily close to another Drogs goal but Ed McGinty saved from both, either side of Burke's leveller. Andy Quinn was penalised for handball – well spotted by assistant referee Emmett Dynan – and Burke drove a free-kick through the wall and into the bottom corner.
Roversw were deserving of their equaliser as they asked plenty of questions of the Drogheda defence. Those were all answered until the 73rd minute when Greene found the winner.
A well-worked Hoops move ended in Danny Mandroiu feeding the striker and he beat the offside trap and then Dennison from 12 yards. Only Warren Davis' header late on was close to restoring parity.
Drogheda assistant Daire Doyle and goalkeeping coach Aaron Shanahan were red carded in injury time as tempers flared on the sideline.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison; George Cooper (Aaron Harper-Bailey, 71), Conor Keeley, Andrew Quinn; Kieran Cruise, Luke Heeney, Shane Farrell, Conor Kane; Darragh Markey (Ryan Brennan, 56); Douglas James-Taylor (Warren Davis, 66), Thomas Oluwa.
Shamrock Rovers: Ed McGinty; Lee Grace, Roberto Lopes, Joshua Honohan; Cory O'Sullivan (Jack Byrne, 66), Matthew Healy, Darragh Nugent (Danny Mandroiu, 46), Dylan Watts (Michael Noonan, 67), Trevor Clarke; Graham Burke (Daniel Cleary, 79), Aaron Greene.
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