DROGHEDA UNITED 2 (Frantz Pierrot 55, Hayden Cann 90+4)
DUNDALK 1 (Jamie Gullan 80)
Hayden Cann settled a dinger of a Louth derby deep into stoppage time to put five points between Drogheda United and basement side Dundalk.
Jamie Gullan cancelled out Frantz Pierrot’s opener with 10 minutes left in an incident that saw Drogs goalkeeper Jethren Barr sent-off. But Kevin Doherty’s 10-men nicked the points when the Lincoln loanee availed of a scramble from a free-kick to smash home the loose ball.
Dundalk’s goalkeeper George Shelvey was also red-carded, clashing with Gary Deegan at the final whistle.
A disastrous start to the season, which saw them go 12 games before winning, plunged the 2019 title winners Dundalk to the bottom of the table.
That win, allied to the two draws either side, avoided them being cut adrift and though they had more than simply their county rivals in their sights within the pack above them, this defeat may prove pivotal.
Deegan was involved in the opener but Dundalk would argue the Drogs terrier shouldn’t have been on the pitch for his assist.
After picking up a 35th-minute yellow card for one of his classic ferocious tackles, he was late with another on Robbie Benson seven minutes later.
Maybe Rob Harvey was playing advantage when he allowed proceedings to continue with Dundalk in possession but not issuing a second booking when it stopped appeared odd.
While Drogheda had the better of the first-half exchanges, Pierrot guilty of squandering a quickly-taken free-kick, they still required Luke Heeney to scamper back and clear Benson’s shot off the line.
Another goal-line clearance was needed later in the game only after the home crowd were enthused by their breakthrough.
Ambitious playing
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