Dundalk push neighbours closer to drop

Drogheda Utd 1 Dundalk 3:DUNDALK ENDED their long run without a win and in so doing sent neighbours Drogheda closer to the relegation trapdoor

The Lilywhites, two goals to the good at the break, made hard work of seeing off a United side that played with 10 men for the entire second half.

Drogheda were by far the better side early on and really should have been ahead before the visitors took the lead against the run of play.

Shaun Kelly was on the line to clear Ryan Brennan’s shot, John Flood’s cross came back off the bar and Flood drove his shot wide when a goal appeared certain.

However, with 16 minutes gone, Ross Gaynor drove the ball past Robert Duggan to give Dundalk the lead and eight minutes later a well-worked free saw Gaynor turn provider for Garry Breen to score the second.

In additional time at the end of the half – in what may have been a case of mistaken identity – Drogheda striker Glen Fitzpatrick was sent off on the advice of an assistant referee for an off-the-ball incident involving Wayne Hatswell.

To their credit, 10-man Drogheda gave it a real go in the second half and got back into the game when Darren Meehan found the net just short of the hour mark. Unfortunately for the hosts, they couldn’t find an equaliser and were caught with a sucker punch shortly before the end when Stephen McDonnell broke and crossed for Fahrudin Kuduzovic who sealed the win.

The news from the Carlisle Grounds where bottom club Bray gained an emphatic 4-0 over Galway to draw level on points with Drogheda merely deepened the gloom of the home supporters.

DROGHEDA: Duggan, Haro, McNally, McGill (McNamara 83), Sinnott, Flood (McMahon 87), Osborne, Meehan, Daly, Fitzpatrick, Brennan.

DUNDALK: Cherrie, Kelly, Hatswell, Miller, Breen (McGuigan 76), Kuduzovic, Tipton (Lennon 81), Gaynor, Madden, Bennett, Kearns (McDonnell 69).

Referee: D. Hancock (Dublin)