LEAGUE OF IRELAND Shamrock Rovers 1 Drogheda United 1: SHAMROCK ROVERS paid the price for a second penalty miss at Tallaght Stadium this season as bottom-of-the-table Drogheda United punished a defensive mistake to snatch a point.
Drogheda goalkeeper Steve Williams saved Seán O’Connor’s 51st-minute spot kick to prevent Rovers doubling their lead before Jamie Duffy equalised four minutes from time.
Rovers’ missed penalties have now cost them three points as they remain fourth in the table, six points behind joint-leaders Bohemians and Cork City.
“It’s a draw, but it feels like a very bad defeat, unfortunately,” said Rovers manager Michael O’Neill. “We have missed two penalties, and we have missed them at crucial times in games.”
Duffy stunned the home crowd to level on 86 minutes, outfoxing Rovers’ defender Aidan Price to get a toe to an Eoghan Osbourne ball.
Scot Gary Twigg struck to give Rovers the lead in the 45th minute. O’Connor’s mishit volley was going well wide until Twigg improvised to fling himself at the ball and head it home.
Rovers then blew a chance to double their lead six minutes into the second half when Drogheda captain Alan McNally handled a Dessie Baker shot inside the box. O’Connor’s penalty lacked power, but that was to take nothing away from Williams who dived the right way to parry the ball away.
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Flynn, Maguire, Price, Cahill; Madden (Purcell, h/t), Rice, Cameron, O'Connor; Twigg, Baker (Amond, 72 mins.).
DROGHEDA UNITED: Williams; Ryan, Kenna, McNally, R. Clarke (Osbourne, 76 mins.); Whelan (O'Connor, 61 mins), Chambers, Shiels, Martin; Barrett, Duffy.
Referee: Neil Doyle(Dublin).
