Eircom League Review

Linfield 1 - 1 Drogheda United AET (3-4 on pens)

Drogheda United claimed the first silverware of the season on Saturday night, where they beat a weary Linfield side 4-3 on penalties, in the Setanta Cup Final at Windsor Park. The Louth side were on top from the first whistle, but failed to make their superiority count on the scoreboard. A host of chances went a begging, including a Damien Lynch penalty early in the second half. And when Paul McAreavy broke the deadlock with Linfield's first genuine attempt on goal, Drogs looked set for final heartbreak. Luckily for the away side, one player had their shooting boots on, with Tony Grant firing a late equaliser to force extra-time.

There were no more goals in the extra periods, with the tie coming down to the lottery of penalties. Mikko Vilmunen saved Linfield's final two spot kicks, leaving Stuart Byrne the chance of ensuring the Setanta Cup remained in the Drogheda trophy cabinet for another season at least. He duly obliged, and the silverware left Windsor Park in the hands of the claret blue army.

St. Patrick's Athletic 2 - 2 UCD

With Drogs busy winning more silverware, St Pats had an opportunity to extend their Premier Divison lead to four points. On Friday night, they traveled to Belfield to play a UCD side, who had recovered from their poor start to the season, and were on a seven-game unbeaten run. Leeds United boss Dennis Wise was in attendance, running rule over Pats' striker Mark Quigley. And the 21 year-old didn't disappoint, opening the scoring with a well-driven shot from 25 yards. Gary O'Neill added a second on the hour mark, and the points seemed to be heading for Inchicore.

But, with the spectators heading for the exits, and the game seemingly in the bag, UCD sparked a revival. Substitute Timmy Purcell rammed home a loose ball with five minutes remaining, and with Pat's now camped in their own half, UCD threw caution to the wind and piled forward. They got their reward in injury-time, when Paul Byrne latched onto a loose ball at the far post to seal a remarkable comeback. After this showing, perhaps TV3 might consider sending their camera's to Belfield on a more regular basis.

Bohemians 5 - 0 Longford Town

Bohs doubled their goals tally for the season with an easy victory over a poor Longford Town side at Dalymount Park on Friday night. The Gypsies dominated from the first minute, missing a host of chances before Glen Crowe's third of the season on 22 minutes. The game was over as a contest before the break. On 41 minutes, a long free kick forward saw the entire Longford backline advance out, but they failed to spot the run of Owen Heary from behind the ball, whose cross was dispatched by Crowe.

John Paul Kelly got in on the scoring early in the second half, before Crowe completed his hat-trick, slotting home from one yard out. Stephen Rice netted in the final moments to complete the rout. "That performance was coming," said Bohs boss Sean Connor. "We've doubled our goal tally, so all the journalists and everybody else who was worried about us can go sleep soundly now." Not much chance of that happening for Longford manager Alan Matthews, who is sure to endure many sleepless nights between now and the season's end. "It was appalling," said Matthews, whose side props up the Premier Division. We got what we deserved, which was nothing."

Derry City 1 - 0 Shamrock Rovers

The Candystripes' secured three much-needed points in an unconvincing 1-0 win over Shamrock Rovers at the Brandywell on Monday night. Pat McCourt was the matchwinner, firing past Rovers' keeper Barry Murphy on 13 minutes.

Rovers will have been disappointed to leave the north-west with nothing to show for their efforts, as they dominated for large periods of the game. The away side missed a catalogue of chances, the easiest coming on 69 minutes when Jamie Duffy and David Cassidy got in each others way, with an open goal at their mercy.

In the end a much-needed win for Derry, their first in four league attempts. Plenty of room for improvement however.

Sligo Rovers 4 - 1 Cork City

Joey Gamble may have felt aggrieved at their Setanta Cup semi-final exit to Linfield, but he could have no complaints after this demolition job by a hungrier Sligo side at the Showgrounds on Saturday night.

After a hard-fought win over leaders St Pat's the week previous, the Rebel army had the opportunity to close the gap between them and Pat's to four points. No-one seemed to tell Sligo however, as they brushed City aside with consummate ease. The away side were never allowed time in possession, meaning their front three of John O'Flynn, Denis Behan and Roy O'Donovan were starved of decent service, apart from the odd hopeful long ball. Centre-back Dan Murray had possibly one of his worst games in a green and white shirt, given the runaround from start to finish by Rovers striker Mathew Judge. And it was the former Tottenham and Luton forward who opened the scoring, beating the hapless Murray before slotting past City 'keeper Michael Devine.

Rovers doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time, midfielder Chris Turner scoring from the spot after Devine brought down Fahrudin Kudozovic in the box. And things only got worse for the visitors after the break, with the Northern Ireland U-21 star forcing his way past Murray to grab his second on 47mins. Judge notched his second of the game on 72 minutes, in what must be a contender for goal of the season. The 21 year-old blocked down an attempted clearance from Darragh Ryan, before nutmegging him and curling a shot into the top corner of the net.

Billy Woods scored a consolation for the Rebels in injury-time, but the night belonged to Rovers, and in particular Judge and Turner.

Waterford United 1 - 0 Galway United

It seems a bit early in the season to have a relegation six-pointer, but that's exactly what we had at the RSC on Friday night. The Blues moved off the bottom thanks to a Vinny Sullivan volley on the hour.

Both teams should have opened their accounts long before the hour mark, with both teams preferring to attack rather than sit back, John Lester going close for United with a 25 yard effort that crept inches wide of the post. Waterford almost opened the scoring five minutes into the second-half, when Sullivan vollyed from an acute angle inside the area after good work by Shane Harte on the right wing, but the ball came back off the crossbar with the 'keeper beaten.

So Waterford move out of the relegation places at Galway's expense. Come November, however, this writer can't help but feel both teams will still be scrapping for survival.

Eircom Premier League Table May 14