Drogheda United vs Dundalk

Shelbourne see off Finn Harps at Tolka Park for first win in five games.

Gavin Mulreany matched that at the other end on the half-hour, diving to his left to clasp home captain Luke Byrne’s looping header from a Griffin free kick. Eight minutes later Shelbourne regained the lead with a terrific team goal. Both sides had half chances in an open start to the game before Shelbourne punished negligent defending to take the lead from their first corner of the night on 14 minutes. The travelling fans were stunned into silence when Drogheda took the lead after just 53 seconds. An almost copycat set-piece goal drew Harps level three minutes later. Greg Sloggett would have a header cleared off the line by Gary Deegan on the hour mark with Kelly firing straight at McCabe after that as Drogheda — who had chances of their own to add to their lead — comfortably holding out for a big win.

On a lively night at Head In The Game Park, Dundalk tasted defeat for just the third time this season.

Within 11 minutes of the restart, O’Donnell was stirred to life for different reasons. This game ignited inside a minute, with what proved to be the only goal. Drogheda’s jubilant fanbase took great pleasure in reminding their guests of that at the final whistle, with Kevin Doherty’s side earning all three points.

DROGHEDA 1-0 DUNDALKDean Williams downed Dundalk for the second time this season to tighten his former club Shamrock Rovers' control of the title ra.

When things did not materially improve for his side inside the first quarter-hour of the second half, he made a triple attacking substitution with Pat Hoban, Keith Ward and Ryan O’Kane brought on as they switched to a three-man defence. Left-sided centre-half Evan Weir received the ball just inside his own half. As Gary Deegan - a team-mate of his at Bohemians in the 2008 season - attempted to keep the ball in just in front of the away dugout, O’Donnell moved as if to tackle him. In fact, there was a sense of disbelief that O’Donnell escaped with only a lecture when he looked as though he wanted to have a more direct influence on proceedings. And there was a more general sense of injustice that, in what was a hardly-contested but not dirty game, they had received four bookings compared to Dundalk’s two. The striker turned sharply and fired a first-time rising shot to the side of Nathan Shepperd to give the Boynesiders a dream start.

As was the case when the sides last met at the same venue in March, it was Dean Williams who bagged the decisive goal to claim another famous home win.

Kevin Doherty’s side could have had a second, though, when Williams forced a good save out of Nathan Shepperd after the Drogheda forward was slipped in by Darragh Markey. Drogheda’s resistance continued into the second period, with Robbie Benson, in space, having a powerful shot from distance deflected over the top by the head of Keith Cowan. McMillan was again in the thick of the action after he met a Daniel Kelly cross at the back post, but the Dundalk frontman could only hook his effort off target from close in.