And while Hoops supporters will be dreaming of a campaign across the continent this autumn, back on home soil this draw may just be a killer blow to their five-in-a-row ambitions.
Darragh Burns’ early strike put Stephen Bradley’s men in the driving seat but an impressive Drogheda battled hard and drew level late on through Douglas James-Taylor. While it was a deserved point, Kevin Doherty will know his side had more than enough chances to leave Tallaght with their first away win of 2024.
Having missed the chance to capitalise on Shelbourne’s weekend defeat in Sligo, the champions sit in fifth, 10 points off Damien Duff’s men at the summit with the game in hand. Now unbeaten in three, bottom-placed Drogheda’s fight for survival remains well and truly on after cutting the gap on Dundalk in ninth to just two points with nine games to play.
With Thursday’s huge second-leg tie against NK Celje looming, Bradley opted for six changes here, a sign of how important their next fixtures is.
With 3,381 in attendance for their first home league game in over five weeks, it took the Hoops just five minutes to find the opener as Burns bagged his fifth of the season. A searching ball down the right channel from Gary O’Neill saw James Bolger judge the bounce poorly, allowing Burns to pounce and slip inside the backline as the Meath man coolly found the bottom corner. A dream start for the champions.
Rovers should have doubled their lead on 34 minutes as a scintillating through ball by Jack Byrne put Graham Burke through on goal. Again, Bolger struggled in the transition as Burke brilliantly spun past the Drogheda left-full but saw his effort denied by a remarkable goal-line clearance from visiting skipper Ryan Brennan.
Moments later, ex-Rovers man Brennan struck for goal but his effort was well saved by Leon Pohls, as the Hoops went in at the interval ahead by the minimum. There was very nearly a moment to forget for Pohls just seconds after the restart as he spilled Shane Farrell’s cross inside the six-yard box before James-Taylor put the rebound just wide.
It was coming, and 15 minutes from time, Drogheda had their leveller, created through an excellent driving run from Kane, who was allowed to charge forward from deep all the way to the Rovers box unchallenged. His pinpoint cross was converted by James-Taylor, on loan from Walsall, for his fourth goal in five starts.
A massive European night awaits in Dublin 24 but here, it was the visitors who were left celebrating at the final whistle after what could prove a key night at both ends of the table.
Shamrock Rovers: Pohls; Cleary (Honohan 58), Lopes, O’Neill; Burns, Kavanagh (Grace 58), Poom, O’Sullivan; Byrne (Farrugia 68), Burke (McNulty 58); Greene (Watts 68).
Drogheda United: Dennison, Quinn, Webster (Keaney 58), Bolger; Ahui, Brennan (Markey 66), Heeney, Farrell, Kane; James-Taylor (Foley 81), Pierrot.
Ref: R Hennessy
