Shamrock Rovers – 1
Drogheda United – 1
DROGHEDA UNITED defender Evan Weir equalised and was then sent off all in the space of two minutes as a dour game ended in drama at Tallaght Stadium.
Aidomo Emakhu was sprung from the bench to give a very sluggish Shamrock Rovers a 79th-minute lead.
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Defeat would have been harsh on Drogheda, who came to the home of the champions to play.
And left-back Weir deservedly levelled on 87 minutes, only to subsequently be dismissed for a second booking.
Far from at their best, it was not just the two points dropped by Rovers that will worry home boss Stephen Bradley.
His side are now sweating on the fitness of Roberto Lopes ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League qualifier second leg with Ludogorets — in which they have a 3-0 deficit to try to overcome.
Key defender ‘Pico’ went down injured on 54 minutes and was immediately replaced by Seán Hoare.
Hoops gaffer Bradley said: “It’s his knee. We need to see over the next few hours and in the morning as to how it settles.
“He’s a big player for us, forget about Tuesday.
“You know when he comes off, he’s hurt. Hopefully it settles and he’s not too bad.”
Bradley accepted the champions were below par despite extending their lead at the top to seven points.
He added: “After Europe it’s about picking up results and we got a result.
“When 1-0 up with ten minutes left you see it out and win the game.
“It was very unlike us to concede that type of goal.
“Were we at our best? Far from it. But we picked up another point and we move on.”
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On Weir’s bittersweet day, Drogs boss Kevin Doherty said: “It’s so soft and now we miss Evan. It was wrong from what I could see.
“I don’t have a problem with officials but it’s disappointing as I thought there was worse in the game for a yellow card.
“I thought we were the better team for most of the match and defended our box really well, which you’re going to do against Rovers.
“Collie (Colin McCabe) didn’t make a load of saves and I remember them taking a few off the line as well.
“I’m not going to say I’m unhappy, it’s still a really good point.”
McCabe was central to the chief talking point of a dreadful first half.
Rovers were incensed at not getting awarded at least a free-kick when Aaron Greene was taken down outside the Drogs area by the keeper.
Bradley said: “I thought it was a horrendous decision.
“They said there was no contact, which is incredible. Everyone in the stadium could see there was contact.
“Why would Aaron go down? It’s an open goal with the keeper out.
“Whether it’s a sending-off or not I don’t know — but how it’s not a foul and a booking I don’t know.”
With five changes from their defeat in Bulgaria on Tuesday, Rovers started nervously, coughing up a couple of half-chances to an eager Drogheda.
The Louth side also began the second half on the front foot.
And Rovers survived on the double two minutes into the half from Darragh Markey’s corner.
First, Keith Cowan’s looping back-post header was nodded off the line by Graham Burke, with Lopes then deflecting Adam Foley’s follow-up out for another corner.
Cowan then should have done much better when his diving header was way off target from Foley’s cross as Drogheda had the Hoops on the rack.
Rovers continued to labour to build any momentum in the game.
Seán Kavanagh had a chance on the hour mark, though his shot was deflected for a corner.
Sensing there was very much something here for them, Drogheda continued to threaten with a string of corners of their own, with skipper Gary Deegan winning one when his 75th-minute effort deflected behind off Kavanagh.
Kavanagh would then be instrumental in creating Rovers’ lead on 79 minutes.
Turning Georgie Poynton cleverly on the left, he whipped over a superb cross to the near post where sub Emakhu found the net with a bullet header for his first goal of the season.
But the visitors did not throw in the towel and levelled from their seventh corner of the second half.
With Rovers failing to clear, Markey’s delivery broke for Weir who drilled a low shot to the net.
But Weir’s day then took a turn for the worse as he received a second booking and a red card for a foul on Andy Lyons.
In a hectic finish, Emakhu might have won it for Rovers four minutes into added time.
But sub Ryan Brennan got his body in the way to deflect the striker’s shot off target.
SUN STAR MAN
Darragh Markey (Drogheda)
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Mannus 7; Gannon 6, Lopes 7 (Hoare 53, 6), Kavanagh 6; Farrugia 6 (Grace 61, 6), O’Neill 7, Towell 6 (Gaffney h-t, 6), Lyons 6; Burke 7 (Ferizaj 71, 6), Watts 6; Greene 6 (Emakhu 61, 7).
DROGHEDA UNITED: McCabe 7; Poynton 6 (Noone 83, 6), Quinn 7, Cowan 7, Weir 7; Deegan 7, Clarke 7; Foley 7 (Brennan 71, 6), Markey 8, Rooney 6 (Grimes 83, 6); Williams 6 (Lyons 74, 6).
REFEREE: D Tomney (Dublin) 6.
