Adam Foley's fine finish earns Drogheda United a win over Sligo Rovers

Adam Foley's first goal of the season saw off Sligo Rovers and handed Drogheda United a thoroughly deserved maiden victory of the Premier Division season at Weavers Park.

It was a game packed with incident, but no one could argue with United taking the points at the end of a fine team performance that extended their unbeaten run at the start of the campaign to three games.

United had found Sligo as tricky a proposition as anyone in their two seasons back in the Premier Division. The Bit O’Red have won four of their eight meetings in that time, with Drogheda winning only one.

That victory came not at Weavers Park, but at the Showgrounds and such is the turnover of players on Boyneside since, only Gary Deegan and Darragh Markey from that team remain. Similarly, just Niall Morahan of Sligo’s squad on Friday took part in that fixture.

Emmanuel Adegboyega started his first senior career league game, with the stricken Ben Curtis missing. There was no Greg Bolger for Sligo either, with Morahan replacing him in midfield.

The game was interrupted, not for the first time at this venue in recent times, by a drone flying overheard in the first half. Referee Adriano Reale chose to stop play to enact the league’s new Drone Interference Protocol. After the players briefly retired to the sideline, play was soon underway again.

Drogheda were more dangerous in the first half but despite forcing 10 corners, the two most clear-cut chances of the opening 45 minutes fell to Sligo. Twice, Kailin Barlow was denied by Colin McCabe.

On the first occasion, the Drogheda goalkeeper knew nothing of Barlow’s well-hit strike but the second time, he got smartly to deny him. At the other end, Ryan Brennan’s improvised chip floated just over.

Sligo’s Luke