| Rovers denied by injury time goal in Drogheda |
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| Sunday, 07 October 2007 | |
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Just when it appeared this one was heading for a draw league leaders Drogheda United struck for the most dramatic of late winning goals three minutes into stoppage time. The Boynesiders couldn't find a way past a resolute Roversdefence and their outstanding keeper, Richard Brush, all night until virtually the last kick of the match. United won a free on the right side of the Roversbox when Guy Bates was upended. Paul Keegan floated the ball into a crowded goal mouth where centre half Jason Gavin forced the ball home for a precious winner. Drogheda almost took the lead directly from the kick off when Eamon Zayed caught the visitors defence cold unleashing a powerful shot that Brush did really well to push round the post. Minutes later Brian Shelley broke down the right before crossing into the box where Guy Bates flicked the ball into the path of Ollie Cahill who guided his header just wide. Drogheda pushed forward at every opportunity and were again denied a lead goal by Brush who stopped Shelley's strike from all of thirty yards. Rovers's only clear cut chance of the opening half arrived in the 23rd minute when Rafael Cretaro's cross from the right picked out Fahrudin Kudozovic who saw his powerful header prevented from entering the net by Dan Connor's legs. The rebound also fell to Kudozovic, however, with the goal at his mercy he scuffed his shot to the relief of the home side. With 33 minutes gone Shelley played a neat one two with Zayed just outside the box for Shelley to drive a fierce volley narrowly wide. As the half drew to a close United pressed hard for the opener as Bates set up Zayed who saw his effort from twenty yards beaten away by an overworked Brush between the Rovers posts. A minute from the break Zayed's goal bound shot was blocked by Gavin Peers with the loose ball falling to Ollie Cahill whose shot was hacked from the goal line by Keith Foy. The early stages of the second half followed the same pattern as the first with Drogheda doing all of the pressing but the Rovers defence holding firm. Seven minutes in Robinsons piledriver saw Brush called into action again as he made the save. In the 54th minute Zayed spurned a really graet chance to give United the lead when he somehow drove the ball over the bar from ten yards. Bates was next up to go close for Drogheda when he only just failed to get a touch on Simon Webb's ball into the box and almost immediately he drove a crisp strike from twelve yards wide. In a rare Rovers attack twenty minutes from time Brian Cash's cross found Matthew Gordon on the back post who drove his shot into the side netting. In the closing stages Dan Connor twice saved the home side when firstly he pushed a Kudozovic free from thirty yards to safety and then did even better to tip a superb lob from the same player over the bar. Three minutes from time sub James Keddy went close to a late winner for the league leaders, however, not for the first time Brush came to Sligo's rescue racing smartly from his line to get a crucial block on the ball. Gavins late late winner was well deserved and secures three points that sees Drogheda move eleven points clear at the top of the table with just five games remaining. Drogheda: Connor, Webb, Gavin, Gartland, Robinson, Shelley, Zayed (Byrne 61), Keegan, Bates, Cahill (Keddy 83) , Baker Grant 78). Sligo: Brush, Ventre, Foy, Peers, McKenzie, O'Grady, Cretaro (Cash 67), Boyd, Judge (Manson 75), Kudozovic, Gordon. |
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