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Drogs bow out in Sweden

Thursday 30th August 2007, 9:30 pm

Razak Omotoyossi, Helsingborg.

Photo by Tom Carey.

Ireland's interest in this season's European competitions is over after Drogheda United eventually fell to a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Helsingborg in Sweden tonight, losing 4-1 on aggregate.

Drogheda started nervously but survived a couple of early scares including a scuffed attempted clearance from goalkeeper Dan Connor inside the opening minute. The Drogs went on to concede a couple of corners inside as many minutes at the start.

Andreas Jakobsson headed against a post as Helsingborg continued to apply pressure. Although set-up in a defensive mind-set, Drogheda did create a good chance only for Eamon Zayed to scuff his shot wide from Ollie Cahill's cross.

After the scoreless first half, Helsingborg broke the deadlock through Jakobsson. The Swedish defender scrambled the ball home inside ten minutes of the restart as Drogheda failed to deal with Andreas Dahl's free kick.

Needing to score having conceded an away goal in the first leg, the goal didn't do a whole lot of damage to Drogheda's plans but Razak Omotoyossi's goal on 68 minutes made it 2-0 and left the visitors with a mountain to climb. Omotoyossi squeezed the ball between Connor and his near post after Henrik Larsson's build-up play had cut through the Drogs defence.

Slightly harshly, Drogheda conceded a third in the final minute after the home side forced the ball home after Drogheda keeper Dan Connor had been ruled to have picked up a back-pass from Simon Webb. Olivier Karekezi eventually fired home the loose ball after Larsson had lashed at goal from the close range free kick.

Drogheda will now have to concentrate back on domestic matters and their search for a first ever League of Ireland title.

Helsingborg : D Andersson, Wahlstedt, Jakobsson, Ronningberg, Tamboura, C Andersson, Dahl (Mariga 86), Skulason, Svanback, Larsson, Omotoyossi (Karekezi 86).
Drogheda United : Connor, Shelley, Gavin, Gartland, Webb, Robinson (Whelan 79), Byrne, Keegan, Keddy (Bates 55), Cahill, Zayed (O'Keefe 74).