Setanta Cup Semi-final/ St Patrick's Athletic 0 Drogheda Utd 1:Having reckoned beforehand that this year's Setanta Cup was in need of a cracker, Paul Doolin watched his Drogheda United side win one at Richmond Park last night where an Eamon Zayed goal after 22 minutes of extra time was enough to earn the defending champions a place in this year's final.
Stuart Byrne and Tony Grant helped set up Zayed for his sixth goal of the season but the finish was a little special even if the home side will argue that, on the balance of play, it was scarcely deserved.
Mark Rooney went closest to grabbing the equaliser but his low shot in the dying minutes flew wide and the home side were left to console themselves with the fact they had once again produced a display of quality and character even if their usual knack of finishing had temporarily deserted them.
The contest started evenly enough with both sides prodding at the other's defence but neither finding the sort of weaknesses that they have grown so used to exploiting over the first few weeks of the season.
Still, two goalline clearances were required to keep the game scoreless until the end of the first half with Paul Keegan's close-range shot after 17 minutes beating everybody bar Stephen Brennan while Anto Murphy looked certain to put St Patrick's in front at the other end eight minutes later until Brian Shelley scrambled back to hook the ball clear.
By the time of Murphy's chance, though, St Patrick's were clearly on top with Keith Fahey and Alan Kirby driving them forward from the centre of midfield while Murphy and John Frost found a good deal of space to run into down the flanks.
Frost presented just about the greater threat of the two but it was a Murphy ball that led to the most controversial moment of the opening period. The right-sided wing back picked out Darragh Maguire whose downward header was driven off the underside of the crossbar by Mark Quigley. There was a strong suggestion the ball bounced over the line and back out again but the referee waved play on and United got the ball away.
What was left in the first half of a fast and fiercely contested game was punctuated with a handful of less clearcut chances for the hosts although there was evidence on occasion too of the speed at which United could move the ball out of the defence as well as the composure with which Glen Fitzpatrick could bring others into the game.
Neither he nor Zayed were given too much to work with over the course of normal time, however, as the bulk of the game took place well behind them. United's Ollie Cahill, on the other hand, drew a decent block from Ryan and it was at the other end that most of the goalmouth action was taking place.
These sides had lost just one game in 26 between them this season before last night and neither seemed likely to surrender a lead once it had been obtained.
Still, they continued to throw themselves into the increasingly open exchanges, the hosts stretching their opponents with tireless running and a string of good passes while Paul Doolin's Drogheda battled at the back while looking to break forward.
In injury time Simon Webb earned his side a rather soft penalty when the left back availed of Murphy outstretched leg to take a tumble. Local hearts looked set to be broken only for Stuart Byrne's shot to rebound off the foot of the post. For the home support, however, it was merely a case of pain deferred.
ST PATRICK'S ATHLETIC: Ryan; Maguire, Brennan, C Foley; Murphy (M Foley, 96 mins (Rooney, 117)), Mulcahy, Fahey, Kirby (O'Connor, 105), Frost; O'Neill, M Quigley.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Vilmunen; Byrne, Shelley, Gray, Webb (Whelan, 118 mins; Robinson, Bradley, Keegan, Cahill; Zayed, Fitzpatrick (Grant, 72 mins).
Referee: A McCourt(Bangor).
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