By Dom Gradwell
After a fine run of form in the run up to Christmas, Drogheda suffered their second successive top flight defeat in the NAC on Sunday at the hands of title chasers North Dublin in what could be best described as an error strewn, dour encounter.
Starting the game without the influential Isa Aljunied and rising star Alex Tapu coach James Healy was stretched to the max to provide a competitive squad for what was always going to be a stern test.
The match started in pedestrian fashion with both sides guilty of very sloppy play including dropped balls and uncharacteristic intercepted passes, and it was almost mid-way through the first period when former Drogheda junior, now back with his parent club, Fionnan McMenamin broke the deadlock beating Drogheda net minder Adam Child from close range with a backhand shot.
Moments later, Drogheda captain Simon Heffernan prevented the Dublin side from stretching their lead with a fine block on a Gerry Wilkes effort.
Drogheda forced their way into the match in the second quarter and a fine save from Jamie Cope prevented an Aidan Mullaney equaliser. The very next attack from Drogheda saw them spurn a golden opportunity to draw level when a breakaway from Mullaney look an all end up goal only for the pass from keeper Child to drop short.
They kept the pressure up and from the next play the Serb Marko Djordevic was sin binned offering Drogheda another chance but the shot from the extra man play sailed high and wide.
Gutsy Drogheda didn’t let their heads drop though, and a moment of magic from veteran David Murnaghan saw him read a Mullaney break and his pin point pass was accurately finished to the net to eventually level the tie.
This setback seemed to once again fire up North Dublin and Adam Child made a fine save after Pearse Branigan was sinbinned. Luka Vuksic forced Child into an incredible stop after a mix-up in the Drogheda defence afforded the Croation a one on one opportunity.
Ciaran Cope pushed North Dublin back in to the lead with a well-placed shot. Moments later Dave Sadlier was sinbinned for the Dublin side and Healy took Drogheda’s first time out of the match to set up an extra man play which Drogheda butchered and their misery was compounded when Gavan Nolan netted for North Dublin at the other end to leave the half time score 3 – 1 in favour of the Dubs.
To their credit, Drogheda continued to carry the game to their more experienced opponents but an uncharacteristic inability to capitalise on set plays prevented them from trimming the deficit.
This proved costly as another member of the North Dublin exile contingent, Aussie James Reid benefitted from another lucky break when his distance shot came back off the crossbar only to rebound off a helpless Adam Child’s over the goal line. 4 – 1.
Drogheda dragged themselves back into the match and finally managed to take advantage of an extra man play when Teige Kelly added their second of the match and when Alex Crosbie scored his first ever senior goal after a brilliant breakaway swim it looked like Drogheda just might be in business.
This hope was to prove short lived as a quick fire brace from the antipodean Reid once again handed his side a three goal cushion entering the final quarter.
Drogheda don’t lack courage though and, far from throwing in the towel, they tenaciously fought their way back into the contest with a Hudson Grieve rebound goal after a Teige Kelly rocket hit the post. Aidan Mullaney reduced the deficit to a single goal with a six metre shot and at this point Drogheda had the wind in their sails as the shot clock denied Teige Kelly what would have been an equaliser.
However North Dublin suddenly found their way with their extra man plays and precise finishes from the Balkan duo Vuksic and Djordevic once again stretched the North Dublin lead to three.
The youthful duo of Alex Healy, taking his senior bow at the tender age of 15, and the 17 year old James Winters made a fine effort which trimmed the deficit to two but McMenamin had the final say as his effort in the dying second confirmed the three- goal winning margin for North Dublin who now sit in second place in the table behind St Vincents. Drogheda now sit in 4th place, having been leapfrogged by Sandycove who are going through a resurgence having beaten Clontarf in the opening match.
DROGHEDA: ADAM CHILD, ALEX CROSBIE, DAVID MURNAGHAN, AIDAN MULLANEY TEIGE KELLY, PEARSE BRANIGAN, SIMON HEFFERNAN, FINN HANLEY, SIMON BRAZIL, JAMES WINTERS, HUDSON GRIEVE, ALEX HEALY.
