Adam Foley's first goal of the season saw off Sligo Rovers and handed Drogheda United a thoroughly deserved maiden victory of the Premier Division season at Weavers Park.
It was a game packed with incident, but no one could argue with United taking the points at the end of a fine team performance that extended their unbeaten run at the start of the campaign to three games.
United had found Sligo as tricky a proposition as anyone in their two seasons back in the Premier Division. The Bit O’Red have won four of their eight meetings in that time, with Drogheda winning only one.
That victory came not at Weavers Park, but at the Showgrounds and such is the turnover of players on Boyneside since, only Gary Deegan and Darragh Markey from that team remain. Similarly, just Niall Morahan of Sligo’s squad on Friday took part in that fixture.
Emmanuel Adegboyega started his first senior career league game, with the stricken Ben Curtis missing. There was no Greg Bolger for Sligo either, with Morahan replacing him in midfield.
The game was interrupted, not for the first time at this venue in recent times, by a drone flying overheard in the first half. Referee Adriano Reale chose to stop play to enact the league’s new Drone Interference Protocol. After the players briefly retired to the sideline, play was soon underway again.
Drogheda were more dangerous in the first half but despite forcing 10 corners, the two most clear-cut chances of the opening 45 minutes fell to Sligo. Twice, Kailin Barlow was denied by Colin McCabe.
On the first occasion, the Drogheda goalkeeper knew nothing of Barlow’s well-hit strike but the second time, he got smartly to deny him. At the other end, Ryan Brennan’s improvised chip floated just over.
Sligo’s Luke McNicholas was underworked in the first half but was a busy man after the break. He produced a stunning flying save to deny Adegboyega and then got down to deny Freddie Draper a first Drogheda goal.
He was flummoxed by Foley’s creative finish just before the hour mark. The striker hooked in Dayle Rooney’s left-wing delivery. It was a clever attempt, expertly executed.
The referee awarded Sligo a penalty when Elicha Ahui hauled down substitute Fabrice Hartmann. The foul was clearly outside the area and on receiving advice, the decision was changed to a free-kick award instead.
Hartmann, on loan himself from Bundesliga side RB Leipzig, smacked his free-kick off the crossbar, with the ball bouncing down onto, but not beyond, the line.
Drogheda United: Colin McCabe; Elicha Ahui, Emmanuel Adegboyega, Conor Keeley, Evan Weir; Gary Deegan, Ryan Brennan; Adam Foley (Dylan Grimes, 76), Darragh Markey, Dayle Rooney; Freddie Draper.
Sligo Rovers: Luke McNicholas; Johan Brannefalk, (Bogdan Vastsuk, 75) Eanna Clancy (John Mahon, 84), Nando Pijnaker, Reece Hutchinson; Niall Morahan (Stefan Radosavljevic 57), Lukas Browning-Lagerfeldt; Frank Liivak, Kailin Barlow (Karl O'Sullivan, 75), Will Fitzgerald (Fabrice Hartmann, 57); Max Mata.
Referee: Adriano Reale.
