Gary Twigg kept Shamrock Rovers’ title ambitions on track with a 95th-minute winner to stun brave Drogheda.
The heroic Boynesiders looked to have held out for a precious and well-deserved point, but second-half sub Twigg latched onto a through-ball and lifted the ball over keeper Stephen Trimble to break the home side’s hearts.
Rovers’ subs bench was entirely made up of first-choice players as manager Michael O’Neill rested Twigg, Billy Dennehy, Ronan Finn and others ahead of next week’s second leg of their Champions League tie in Tallinn.
Ryan Thompson made his league debut in goal and the presence of former Sligo keeper Richard Brush in the ground will add fuel to stories linking Alan Mannus with a move away from Tallaght Stadium.
Drogheda lined out without veteran recent signing Dave Rogers because of tonsillitis, but gave a debut to former West Brom youth Lee Lynch in midfield.
Inside the first minute Dean Kelly warmed the palms of Drogs keeper Stephen Trimble and Gary O’Neill just failed to get on the end of a Kelly cross.
The home side came nearest to an early goal though, when Thompson spilled a hanging cross and Dinny Corcoran pounced, only for Craig Sives to clear his shot off the line with a diving header.
Drogheda then had strong claims for a penalty waved away by referee Doyle as Gavin Brennan seemed to be bundled over by Pat Flynn as he prepared to shoot.
Thompson redeemed himself for his earlier error when he parried Mark O’Brien’s volley at point-blank range following a pinpoint deep cross from Philip Hand.
But he had only a comfortable save to make on 24 minutes when Tiarnan Mulvenna’s flick put Corcoran clean through and he shot straight at the keeper.
Rovers put a fine move together in the 33rd minute, aided by Dan Murray who joined the attack, but Gary McCabe’s final shot was poor.
Ronan Finn’s introduction for the ineffective Stephen O’Donnell at half-time added some steel to the Rovers midfield, but with no breakthrough by the 57th minute the visitors added Twigg and Dennehy to the mix.
At last Rovers began to peg their hosts back and Brian Gannon had to be alert to block a McCabe shot, before keeper Stephen Trimble made a brilliant stop from a Twigg shot after the sub had been teed up by Sives.
Dennehy blazed a shot over the bar in the 79th minute, but four minutes 16 seconds into stoppage time Twigg struck for the champions.
Drogheda United: 1 Stephen Trimble; 2 Stephen Quigley, 4 Alan McNally, 5 Brian Gannon, 3 Philip Hand; 7 Mark O’Brien, 6 Lee Lynch, 8 Peter McMahon (12 Cillian Thompson 86min), 11 Gavin Brennan; 9 Dinny Corcoran, 10 Tiarnan Mulvenna. Subs not used: 14 Robbie Clarke, 15 Robbie Gaul, 16 Victor Ekanem, 18 Keith Murray, 13 Aaron Shanahan.
Booked: Mulvenna (58min).
Shamrock Rovers: 16 Ryan Thompson; 13 Pat Flynn, 4 Craig Sives, 5 Dan Murray, 3 Enda Stevens; 14 Dean Kelly, 6 Stephen Rice, 22 Conor McCormack, 8 Stephen O’Donnell (21 Ronan Finn 46min), 7 Gary McCabe; 19 Gary O’Neill. Subs not used: 2 Pat Sullivan, 15 Paddy Kavanagh, 17 Ken Oman, 1 Alan Mannus.
Booked: Murray (48min), Flynn (83min).
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin).
