Drogheda United clinched their first ever League of Ireland title tonight in dramatic fashion when Guy Bates struck a superb 90th-minute winner to finally end the hopes of Cork City and St Patrick's Athletic.
At kick-off the Boynesiders enjoyed a ten-point advantage over their visitors, with Cork requiring a victory to maintain their slender hopes of catching the leaders.
However, with third-placed St Patrick’s storming into a decisive lead against Shamrock Rovers at Richmond Park, it soon became clear that a draw would not be enough for Drogheda to clinch the title.
After surviving an early scare when a mistake from keeper Dan Connor almost gifted Denis Behan the lead, the Boynesiders gained the ascendancy and laid siege to the Leesiders’ goal.
Striker Guy Bates snatched at a couple of early opportunities, but the most clear-cut chance for United fell to Eamon Zayed in the 17th minute. Ollie Cahill delivered a perfect cross for the striker whose downward header bounced the wrong side of the post.
In a rare Cork attack, Billy Woods’ 50-yard diagonal pass picked out Gareth Farrelly whose header was tipped over the bar by Connor.
But Drogheda got the vital breakthrough on 31 minutes when Shane Robinson’s cross was headed back across goal by Graham Gartland and Zayed nodded the ball into the net from close range.
Zayed nearly sneaked in for a second goal on the stroke of half-time when Cork keeper Michael Devine slipped as he attempted to deal with Sean Kelly’s back-pass, but the angle was too tight for the striker who shot into the side-netting.
It was more of the same at the start of the second half, with Zayed shooting narrowly over the bar and then Simon Webb testing Devine from long range.
Drogheda looked comfortable, but the game was turned on its head in the 64th minute when their skipper Jason Gavin mis-judged a clearing header from Liam Kearney’s cross and deflected the ball past helpless Connor.
The Drogs nearly snatched it when Robinson’s cross was headed against the bar by Zayed, but in the final minute of normal time Cahill broke from half-way and released Bates who sent a superb 25-yard shot beyond Devine for a sensational winner.
DROGHEDA UNITED – Connor, Shelley, Gavin, Gartland, Webb, Robinson, Byrne, Keegan, Cahill, Bates, Zayed. Sub: Grant for Zayed (87min).
CORK CITY – Devine, Horgan, Kelly, Murray, Woods, Farrelly, Gamble, Healy, Kearney, McSweeney, Behan. Sub: O’Flynn for McSweeney (68min).
Referee – Damien Hancock (Dublin).
