Drogheda United ruined their neighbours' return homecoming to Oriel Park tonight as they dumped Dundalk out of the FAI Cup with a two-nil win.
The Lilywhites, playing their first match on the new artificial surface having been homeless for ten months, were felled by a first half strike from Mark Leech and a penalty from Damian Lynch.
Paul Doolin’s side went close in the first half when Declan O’Brien raced onto a pass from Leech before seeing his shot turned around the post by the alert Aaron Shanahan.
The breakthrough eventually came three minutes before the interval when Simon Webb’s cross from the left was toe-poked home at the near post by Leech.
Drogheda continued to dominate the start of the second half and on 53 minutes were awarded a penalty after Shanahan upended O’Brien. Lynch made no mistake as he put the ‘keeper the wrong way.
O’Brien could have put the came beyond doubt on the hour mark but his snap shot was brilliantly parried away by Shanahan.
Dundalk’s best chance of salvaging something from the game came four minutes later when a poor back header by Graham Gartland saw Ger McCarthy get a touch only for the ball to go agonisingly wide of the post.
