Derry City move back into second place with draw at Drogheda

Drogheda United 1

Derry City 1

Danny Mullen’s equaliser at Drogheda United sent Derry City back into second place in the Premier Division.

The striker was in the right place at the right time to save a point for his team, which could prove crucial in the race for European football.

With Bohemians losing at Shamrock Rovers, the point is enough to move the Candystripes into second with just four league games to go.

The game didn’t come to life until just a few minutes before the break when Derry City fell behind for the sixth time in seven games. Shane Farrell’s free-kick from halfway went all the way into the penalty area where the ball was brilliantly chested down by Conor Keely, right into the path of striker Fuhad Kareem, who drilled an unstoppable shot beyond Brian Maher and into the bottom corner from 20 yards.

Drogheda had two gilt-edged opportunities to double their lead in the opening stages of the second half, and both fell to Joshua Thomas. The Drogheda man found himself through on goal when Jamie Stott miscued a clearance, but he hesitated and that cost him as Mark Connolly nipped in to block his shot a second later. His second chance came within 60 seconds as James Bolger’s curling cross found his team mate free six yards out, but he sliced his effort poorly into Maher’s hands.

Those misses cost the home side as Derry City equalised after a rare attack on the Drogheda goal. Brandon Fleming cut inside and brought a good save from Dennison, but the goalkeeper’s luck deserted him as the rebound fell perfectly for Danny Mullen, who fired in his seventh league goal of the season.

Mark Connolly then saved Derry City with an extraordinary goal line clearance as Drogheda were denied again. Markey was again the talisman as he sent substitute Warren Davis through, and the striker poked the ball past the outrushing Maher, and it rolled towards the open net until Connolly threw himself at the ball to turn it onto the post, colliding with it in the process. Hayden Cann tried to help his team mate by hooking away the rebound, but Markey charged it down but was unable to turn it in as the ball somehow trickled just wide.

The game was there for the taking in the closing stages and Derry could have stolen all three points when Fleming broke away and found O’Reilly inside, who picked out Mullen in space, but the striker’s shot cannoned back off the post. Dennison then had to push over a dipping free-kick from Michael Duffy as Derry pushed hard for a winner.

Teams

Drogheda: Dennison, Kane, Quinn, Markey, Farrell (Heeney 65’), Bolger, Brennan, Keeley, Lambe, Kareem (Davis 70’), Thomas (Stretton 86’).

Derry City: Maher, R Boyce, Connolly (Dummigan 79’), Stott, Fleming, Cann, Diallo, O’Reilly, Winchester, Duffy, Mullen (Whyte 86’).

Referee: Rob Harvey.