Drogs claim away goal but only draw
Thursday 19th July 2007, 11:37 pm
Eamon Zayed scored again for Drogheda in Europe.
Photo by Tom Carey.
19th July 2007
UEFA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
Libertas 1
Federico Nanni 77
Drogheda United 1
Eamon Zayed 43
Stadio Olympico
Drogheda United got the away goal they were looking for on their trip to San Marino in tonight's UEFA Cup 1st qualifying round - 1st leg game against Libertas.
Eamon Xayed scored before half-time to give Drogheda the lead. However, the home side levelled matters up on the night inside the closing twenty minutes.
Drogheda started well in the intense San Marino heat with Aiden O'Keefe forcing a good save inside the opening couple of minutes.
The home keeper Michele Ceccoli pulled off an even better save to deny Sami Ristilla. With the Drogs calling for a penalty before half-time, Ristilla just failed to convert after getting in a tangle with Ceccoli.
Just as a frustrating half seemed to end without a goal for Drogheda, Zayed got in on the end of Steven Gray's low cross to turn home.
Displaying shades of the last time an Irish side visited San Marino, Drogheda failed to get the game beyond a side still regarded as genuine minnows in football.
It proved costly when Federico Nanni fired Libertas level on 77 minutes.
The away goal though will send the Drogs into the second leg at Dalymount Park as massive favourites.
Libertas : Ceccoli, Sottili, Simoncini (Nanni 54), Cevoli, Fambri, Tarini, Gazzi, Macerata, Santini (Canini 86), Semprini, Cavalli (Pari 71).
Drogheda United : Connor, Shelley, Tambouras, Gartland, Gray (Webb 67), Whelan, Robinson, Byrne, O'Keeffe (Baker 78), Zayed (Grant 71), Ristila.