Nov 17,2024
Drogheda United, so often the underdog, made light of their favourites tag as they eased by Bray Wanderers to maintain their Premier Division status at Tallaght Stadium.
After last weekend's FAI Cup final success the party was on hold for Drogheda but two sensational finishes from Frantz Pierrot and a James Bolger strike ensured there would be a double celebration for the Boynesiders.
Two goals in four minutes took the game away from Bray. Bolger opened the scoring in the 32nd minute before a classy backheel flick from Pierrot doubled the advantage.
A clinical finish from Pierrot made it three five minutes after the break and they saw out the game comfortably after a Harry Groome screamer had given Bray a glimmer of hope after the hour.
Bray are consigned to a seventh successive year in the First Division but they will wonder what might have been after Darren Craven fired over and Cristian Magerusan headed Shane Griffin’s free kick over from six yards when the game was still scoreless.
But Drogheda always looked like scoring themselves and while Pierrot was thwarted three times, it took Bolger one strike to break the deadlock after 32 minutes.
Bray felt aggrieved as Douglas James-Taylor appeared to handle the ball before cushioning it for Bolger to fire home from the edge of the area.
The game was taken away from Bray four minutes later as Pierrot darted across the front post and turned Darragh Markey’s cross home with a flashy flick.
Bray still came knocking and Luke Dennison produced a superb stop to deny a rocket from Magerusan creeping inside his near post before the break.
Elicha Ahui carried his excellent cup final form into this game and he whipped in a delightful cross from the end line to Pierrot who headed onto the post just after the restart.
Markey and Pierrot combined again in the 50th minute as the Haiti international volleyed brilliantly across Jimmy Corcoran for his thirteenth goal of the season to pop the champagne bottles in the East Stand.
With just over an hour played a 25-yard drive from Groome gave the Seagulls a glimmer of hope entering the last third.
Dennison, who has been a huge part of Drogheda’s second half of the season renaissance, saved well to deny Magerusan from teeing up a grandstand finish.
Drogheda saw out the game comfortably to secure Premier Division football for a fifth year in a row.
Drogheda United: Luke Dennison, Elicha Ahui, Andrew Quinn, Darragh Markey, Frantz Pierrot (Davis 82), Douglas James Taylor (Foley 72), David Webster, Shane Farrell (Heaney 18), James Bolger, Ryan Brennan, Conor Kane
Bray Wanderers: James Corcoran, Max Murphy, Killian Cantwell, Cole Omorehiomwan, Guillermo Almirall (Feeney 46), Darren Craven (O'Neill 79), Harry Groome, Cristian Magerusan, Zach Nolan, Shane Griffin, John O’Sullivan
