Twigg breaks Drogheda hearts late on

AIRTRICITY LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION Drogheda United 0 Shamrock Rovers1:THIS WILL go down as one of the great injustices of the season as Shamrock Rovers broke Drogheda hearts with a Gary Twigg winner five minutes into stoppage time at the end of a pulsating contest where United should have taken at least a point, if not all three.

Rovers appeared to show no ill effects from their midweek European exertions early on as Dean Kelly’s shot brought the best out of Steven Trimble and Gary O’Neill failed to get a touch when he should have scored.

However, Drogheda with their first move into opposition territory should have taken the lead when Ryan Thompson spilled a cross to Dinny Corcoran who picked his spot, only for Craig Sives to head the ball off the line. Thompson then pulled off a fine save from Corcoran and on 12 minutes United could have had a penalty for a foul on Ryan Brennan.

Drogheda continued to dominate as Thompson saved the day for the Hoops again when he stopped Mark O’Brien’s shot. Corcoran twice failed to work the keeper and Brennan drove over.

Drogheda went at Rovers from the off in the second half and came within inches of leading eight minutes in from a Peter McMahon strike that sailed past the post.

The champions then made a double substitution, introducing Gary Twigg and Billy Dennehy. However, despite Rovers raising their intensity, the home side still coped comfortably.

Twigg did go close to breaking the deadlock on 73 minutes but Trimble saved superbly. But with the four minutes of injury-time up, Dennehy flicked the ball into the path of Twigg who drove home for the most undeserving of winners.

DROGHEDA UNITED: Trimble, Quigley, Hand, McNally, Gannon, Lynch, O'Brien, McMahon (Thompson 86), Corcoran, Mulvenna (Thompson 90), Brennan.

SHAMROCK ROVERS: Thompson, Flynn, Sives, Murray, Stevens, McCormack (Dennehy 57), Rice, O'Donnell (Finn h/t), McCabe, Kelly, O'Neill (Twigg 57).

Referee: N Doyle(Dublin).