Another late winner extends Drogs lead
Friday 13th July 2007, 9:41 pm
Tony Grant (left) scored late winner for Drogheda.
Photo by Tom Carey.
13th July 2007
eircom League of Ireland Premier Division
Drogheda United 1
Tony Grant 88
Bohemians 0
United Park
Drogheda United will head into European action on top of the League of Ireland after they snatched another late winner tonight. Former Bohemians player Tony Grant headed in the only goal of the game two minutes from the end as Bohs were beaten at a soaked United Park.
A lively encounter saw both sides create chances although the game seemed set to drift to a draw before Grant got in in the dying moments of the game.
Grant looped home a header past goalkeeper Brian Murphy as he connected with Shane Robinson's cross into the box. Robinson had been set free down the wing by another former Bohs man Aidan O'Keefe.
In the first half, Drogheda goalkeeper Dan Connor pulled off a point blank save to deny Glen Crowe as the Bohs sriker got in on the end of Mark Rossiter's cross and looked certain to open the scoring.
Crowe then chipped agonizingly over Connor's crossbar after strike partner Darren Mansaram had played him in following a swift Bohs counter-attack.
The Drogheda keeper didn't have as composed a night as normal but still held onto a clean-sheet although Crowe again almost punished him after a slip-up.
Overall, Bohs created more chances but a failure to convert cost them dearly.
Drogheda indeed might have punished the visitors before half-time but Damien Hancock didn't award the Drogs a penalty when Dean Pooley appeared to bring Eamon Zayed down in the area just before the break.
Stephen Rice almost got in a couple of times for the visitors in the second half with captain Kevin Hunt marking his arrival from the bench with a shot that narrowly missed Connor's goal.
The result leaves Bohs in fourth place having played more games than anyone else and does some damage to their title challenge. Drogheda though have put it up to Saint Patrick's Athletic and are now four points clear of the Saints with the clubs having played the same number of games.
Drogheda United : Connor, Shelley, Gray, Tambouras, Gartland, Byrne, Robinson, Whelan, Keddy, Zayed (O'Keeffe 85), Ristila (Grant 66).
Bohemians : Murphy, O Heary, Powell, Pooley, Burns (Hunt 46), Rice, Byrne, T Heary, Rossiter (Harkin 75), Crowe, Mansaram (Fenn 70).