Bray Wanderers 1, Drogheda United 1: DROGHEDA'S NINE-YEAR tenure in the Premier Division is all but over as they now need a footballing miracle if they are to preserve their top-flight status.
Bobby Browne’s side are now six points adrift, and seven goals worse off than second-from-bottom Bray, with just two games to play.
Drogheda’s Spanish left-back Yael Haro had a bittersweet afternoon, scoring his first goal for the club before giving away a penalty to let Bray back into the game.
Darragh McNamara won a free-kick in a challenge with Derek Prendergast and Haro curled the deadball round the wall and into the bottom right corner of Matt Gregg’s net on six minutes.
Drogheda might have had a second 10 minutes later when John Flood burst through on goal. But Dane Massey got back to do enough to force Flood into shooting tamely wide.
Bray had a loud shout for a penalty for a handball from Shane O’Neill’s cross waved away by referee Paul Tuite on the half hour.
But Tuite did point to the spot nine minutes later when Haro was adjudged to have tripped Chris Shields right of the edge of the area. O’Neill sent Robert Duggan the wrong way from the spot to level.
BRAY WANDERERS: Gregg; Doyle, Prendergast (Tresson, 90+4 mins), Mitchell, Massey; Zambra, D O'Connor (S O'Connor, 80 mins), Dempsey, Tuohy; Shields, S O'Neill.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Duggan; Treacy, McNally, Harris, Haro; Meenan (R Brennan, 66 mins), Crowley, Daly, McMahon; McNamara, Flood.
Referee:P Tuite (Dublin)
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