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    Sligo and Drogheda share the spoils in absorbing affair

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    By Irishexaminer.com,Liam Maloney

    Copyright irishexaminer

    Sligo and Drogheda share the spoils in absorbing affair

    With Sligo looking to get out of the bottom two and Drogheda pushing for a European place, a draw was a frustrating outcome for both.

    These sides sought redemption for their respective exits from the Sports Direct Men’s FAI Cup the previous weekend.

    Holders Drogheda lost on penalties to Shamrock Rovers but Sligo’s quarter-final exit was an embarrassing 4-3 extra-time away loss to Kerry FC after coughing up a 3-0 lead.

    The hosts almost opened the scoring in the 11th minute but top scorer Owen Elding’s goalbound header – from Will Fitzgerald’s cross – came off the upright.

    Ryan O’Kane then flashed a shot wide as Sligo threatened again.

    A slick Sligo counter-attack saw the influential Jad Hakiki release Owen Elding but Drogheda goalkeeper Luke Dennison got enough on the effort to keep things scoreless.

    An even better stop from Dennison denied Seb Quirk’s low shot.

    An error from Sligo defender John Mahon led to shots from Darragh Markey and substitute Ryan Brennan but goalkeeper Sam Sargeant was equal to both efforts.

    Conor Keeley fizzed a volley wide as Drogheda went close.

    Sligo finished the first-half on the up. Ryan O’Kane tested Luke Dennison from distance and then beat Drogheda’s goalkeeper with a similar long-range strike in first-half stoppage time.

    Drogheda got back into the game through Paul Doyle’s penalty conversion in the 50th minute following a handball decision against Patrick McClean.

    The remainder of the second-half was tit-for-tat.

    Sligo threatened with shots from Owen Elding and Seb Quirk, while Jad Hakiki’s 75th minute rasper from distance smacked off the crossbar, with Drogheda twice going close through Shane Farrell.

    Drogheda almost stole a last-gasp winner but substitute Thomas Oluwa’s shot was narrowly wide in the 88th minute.

    Sligo Rovers: Sergeant; Agbaje (Wolfe 78), McClean, Mahon, Stewart (Kavanagh 62); Quirk, McManus (Reynolds 88); O’Kane, Hakiki, Fitzgerald; Elding.

    Drogheda United: Dennison; Lambe, Bolger (Cooper 66), Keeley, Quinn, Kane (Cruise 46); Heeney, Markey (Farrell 46), Doyle (Oluwa 76); Thomas (Brennan 34), Davis (Kareem 46).

    Referee: Marc Lynch

    Attendance: 2,357

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