A miserable day up in Weavers Park sees us share the spoils with Drogheda and continue our unbeaten season so far. A tight and hard fought 2-2 all draw sends us all back home wishing for more, and a sour taste in their mouth for many Shels fans due to the events at the end of the game, which I will touch on later.
Overall, disappointing draw against Drogheda but we move, and it’s very hard to complain when we are still 6 points clear at the top. The result was especially good when you consider the fact that a bug is still taking a toll on the majority of players, but anyways, let’s talk about what happened in the first half:
Opening up Drogheda looked stronger than us, getting a good few opportunities while we looked like we just didn’t want to attack. In the 20th minute Foley gets in on the right side of the box, brings it in and passes it up towards the front of the box to Gallagher who hits it first touch from just inside the box and it goes past Conor Kearns into the bottom left corner which put Drogheda 1-0 up.
After this goal we settled into the match and looked stronger as if the team were awaken, and nearing the end of the 30th minute Paddy Barret sends up a ball which finds its way into the box where John Martin gets it on his chest but he trips and is unable to capitalise on the opportunity. Then just 8 minutes later, a similar attack takes place, again, Barret sends a ball up near the Drogheda Box which gets to Jarvis who lays it back for Burt who tries to strike it but it hits into a Drogheda defender, but then it goes further into the box and Dean Williams managed to get to the ball but stumbles and is unable to make anything out of the opportunity.
Nearing the half time whistle, Conor Kearns takes his kick out which ends up being a header img contest outside the Drogheda box until it headered back to Coyler which takes it very well and flicks it over the whole Drogheda back line with ease and gets back onto the ball and strikes it before the keeper can get to the ball and gets Shelbourne back into the contest, 1-1 , and a stunning goal by the captain.
Overall an alright at best first half. We didn’t come out onto the pitch the better team, but we did leave the pitch being the better team. Let’s talk about our second half performance:
Opening the half we didn’t look very strong again and it’s starting to become a trend now that we just seem to not open up well. Just as the 49th minute is closing former Shels man Andy Quinn gets past Lunney and gets it out to Markey on the right who sends it into the box, Kearns goes for it but it goes over his head and Brennan finds it but is unable to score and kicks it wide. A very scary attack.
In the 63rd we attack, Lunney gets the ball at the halfway line and plays a stunning trough ball to Jarvis who receives it just outside their box and brings it in , he tried hitting it with the outside of his right but it just went wide of the left side of the goal.
In the 67th minute Duffer changed out John Martin for Sean Boyd
In the 69th minute, Evan Wier has a dangerous free kick opportunity from outside the Shelbourne box, he goes to shoot but it takes a deflection off of the wall and finds the back of the net, unfortunately Conor Kearns realistically couldn’t of done anything and that out Drogheda back in the driving seat, 2-1.
Later in the 75th Duffer decided to switch out Kam Ledwidge and Dean Williams for Shane Farrel and Matty Smith respectively, and then in the 80th minute he changed out Mark Coyle and Liam Burt for Evan Caffery and Keith Ward respectively.
That puts us up to the 85th minute where we have a free kick fat from their box, we send it up Jarvis on the very left of their box who manages to get past Quinn and tries to send it in but a Drogheda defender gets to it and it goes out for a corner. The corner is sent in, finds its way to the back post but Shelbourne couldn’t make anything of it and it finds Markey who uses this as a counter attacking opportunity and sends it up to David on the right side of the field, he gets around a few Shelbourne players and pops a shot but Conor Kearns gets his foot to it which knocks it up into the air and he catches it again, and that was the end of a very dangerous opportunity for Drogheda.
93rd minute sees Tyreke Wilson send one into the Drogheda box in a last ditch effort to scrape a point out of the match, this ball makes its way to Boyd who headers it and it bounces pass the Drogheda keeper, which tied the game up at 2-2.
Now this is where the well documented controversy begins. A Shelbourne fan, presumably a young one, had a pyrotechnic, which he aimed to throw onto the field, but instead it found the neck of the linesman and injured him. This was before a big free kick that could’ve won us the game, which is a shame, but the real problem is what happened to the linesman. Pyro is great and all, it shows passion, love for your local club etc. , but if we cannot use pyro without injuring someone, we can’t use it at all! It’s absolutely ridiculous that this is the second time something has happened like this, and it’s gut wrenching for the fans who travel up and down the country each week to face consequences because of one person. I’m an advocate for pyro, but with recent events it’s put a very sour taste in my mouth about it, and to be deadly honest it shouldn’t ever happen. Thankfully, the linesman wasn’t badly injured and at the end of the day that is what is most important. We cannot have pyro if a steward, player, referee, fan, anyone is going to get injured and it’s terrible what happened to the linesman.
There was a good period after the incident where no one knew what was happening, it must of been 10ish minutes but felt like ages. Both teams were brought into the locker rooms but the lack of a full time whistle from the referee just made a tense atmosphere around the stadium, waiting for something to be said or something to happen.
Eventually, news came that the linesman was fine, and both teams came back out of the locker rooms and started warming up on the pitch again.
We set back up for the set piece at their end of the field, and unfortunately due to the events of this , our free kick wasn’t in the right position where it was before the pyro incident, and this caused Kieth Ward to miss his set piece due to it taking due to a bigger distance from goal then at first. He attempted the shot but it hit the wall, nothing could be made up of the opportunity and Rob Hennessy blew his whistle and that was full time, a controversial draw sends both teams home with a point each, and Shelbourne still sit 6 points clear at the top.
My man of the match would be Mark Coyle. An excellent goal, followed up by some great challenges and his performance overall was amazing. Nothing really more to touch on, just an average Coyler performance.
The club did put out a statement about the incident, wishing the linesman a speedy recovery. There has been no word as of yet about the punishment Shelbourne will receive.
Overall, just another game, we really need everyone to get down and get behind the team for a big North Dublin Derby at home next Friday. Hopefully the bug will have drifted away by then and we can go in full strength against Bohemians.
I’d like to thank you for reading my review, make sure to get down to Tolka next week and get behind the team, we need to make a good atmosphere. It will be crucial for the team to perform.
UTFR