Setanta Cup holders Drogheda missed a hatful of second-half chances to book a home draw in this year’s semi-finals at United Park tonight as Cork held on gamely for a share of the spoils.
Both sides went into the game on 10 points and had already qualified for the last four, but the final series of group games will now determine their opponents in the knockout stage.
The Leesiders had Drogheda on the back foot in the early stages and Liam Kearney’s 25-yard shot tested debutant netminder Paul Skinner in the seventh minute.
A similar chance presented itself to Fahrudin Kuduzovic at the opposite end after the Bosnian was put through by Adam Hughes, but this time Mark McNulty in the Cork goal was not troubled.
Skinner, one of seven changes from the Drogheda side that faced Finn Harps last Friday, then did well when a ball in from a Cork player cannoned off Richie Baker and almost ended up in the corner of the net for an own goal.
A Danny Murphy 25-yard free kick grazed the outside of Skinner’s left-hand post, and Dan Murray headed wide from a Darragh Ryan corner as Cork turned the screw.
Efforts from Drogheda’s Hughes and Ibrahima Iyane Thiam sailed well wide of the target, and it was no surprise when the visitors got their noses in front in the 44th minute.
Neal Horgan’s pass reached Darren Murphy just outside the box, and the former Cobh midfielder turned Joe Kendrick before sending a superb diagonal shot beyond Skinner.
But the Leesiders’ advantage lasted just six minutes. Sami Ristila, a half-time sub for the ineffective Iyane Thiam, set up Kuduzovic whose shot was deflected over the bar by Murray. From the resulting corner by Baker, Shaun Maher headed against the post and John Tambouras followed up to score from close range.
Cork almost restored their lead on 55 minutes when Murray released Kearney whose shot grazed the outside of the post, and Colin Healy sent a 20-yard free kick sailing over the Drogheda crossbar.
But the Boynesiders missed two great chances in as many minutes to snatch a winner. Substitute Eamon Zayed blazed over when a Kuduzovic free kick bounced off keeper McNulty’s chest, and then fellow sub Shane Robinson shot wide after being put clean through by Ristila.
On 85 minutes it was Robinson again on the end of a four-man move, but this time he screwed his 12-yard shot off the crossbar, and two minutes later Zayed missed the target with a header from Joe Kendrick’s cross.
Drogheda United: Skinner, Clarke, Tambouras, Maher, Kendrick, Baker, Keegan, Hughes, Barrett, Iyane Thiam, Kuduzovic. Subs: Ristila for Iyane Thiam (46min), Robinson for Baker (60min), Zayed for Barrett (77min).
Cork City: McNulty, Horgan, Kelly, Murray, Danny Murphy, Kearney, Darren Murphy, Gamble, Healy, Ryan, Dudfield. Sub: O’Connor for Ryan (90min).
Referee: Dave McKeon (Meath).
