Shelbourne 6-0 Drogheda United
Sean Boyd scored a brace of penalties as Shelbourne ended their drought of 11 league games without a win in some style at Tolka Park.
Their biggest victory of the season in their final home match of the campaign was just the tonic for Damien Duff’s FAI Cup finalists in front of Ruaidhri Higgins, manager of Derry City, their opponents at the Aviva Stadium on November 13th.
Shelbourne were in front on eight minutes. Shane Farrell’s corner was nodded down by Stephan Negru to Jack Moylan to sweep the ball home at the back post.
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Brimming with confidence, Reds doubled their lead seven minutes later.
The skilful Moylan was instrumental, slipping John Ross Wilson in down the inside right channel for the wingback to drill a drive past Colin McCabe.
A reeling Drogheda found themselves 3-0 down within a further seven minutes when Gavin Molloy was fouled inside the area from JJ Lunney’s free kick.
Boyd, back from a two-match suspension, sent McCabe the wrong way to score emphatically from 12 yards.
The big striker had only another 10 minutes to wait to increase rampant Shelbourne’s lead as they were awarded another penalty when Dylan Grimes bundled Matty Smith to the gourd.
Boyd once more sent McCabe the wrong way from the spot, the sixth penalty of his 11 league strikes this campaign.
Smith added a fifth goal on 63 minutes, powering a shot to the net after Keith Cowan’s clearance from Kameron Ledwidge’s cross ran straight to the Scot.
Substitute Aodh Dervin completed the rout on 88 minutes, scoring with a deflected shot from the edge of the area for his first goal for the club.
Shelbourne: Clarke; Negru, Byrne (Ledwidge, h-t), Griffin; Lunney (Dervin, 68), Molloy; Wilson (McManus, 62), Smith, Farrell (Coyle, 62); Moylan, Boyd (Carr, 68).
Drogheda United: McCabe; Nugent, Quinn, Cowan, Massey; Brennan (Arong, 69), Topcu; Grimes, Markey (Stanic-Floody, 58), Rooney (Molloy, h-t); Lyons (Williams, 28).
Referee: Mark Moynihan (Cork).
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