Late Brennan strike secures away point for Drogheda

Drogheda United goalkeeper Sam Long earned his side a point with a stunning save in the fourth minute of injury time against Finn Harps in Ballybofey.

Yoyo Mahdy was six yards out having been found by Bastien Hery and with the goal yawning looked set to give the hosts a first home win of the campaign. However, Long somehow kept it out with a point-black save and Drogheda escaped, so manage to stay above Harps in the standings.

FULL MATCH DETAILS

Beforehand, both sides had led, with James Clarke putting the visitors one up before Eric McWoods and Mahdy turned things around. With five minutes left, Ryan Brennan managed to squeeze in an equaliser before Long's heroics.

The visitors made the perfect start with a goal in only the fifth minute. Clarke came from deep and with the run not picked up, sliding prod the ball low into the Harps net when Darragh Nugent had made the chance having got down the inside-right channel.

However, on 22 minutes Harps were level and it was McWoods who tucked home after goalkeeper Long had made a good stop to deny Yoyo Mahdy in a one-on-one situation after Filip Mihaljevic had picked a hole in the visitors’ defence.

Harps lined out with goalkeeper Gavin Mulreany making his senior debut, with the former Donegal minor goalkeeper, who won Ulster in 2016 under Declan Bonner, joined by former Cork City defender Rob Slevin in making his first start.

Mulreany could do little about the goal he conceded but made a flying save at full-stretch on 25 minutes from a rasping shot from Dayle Rooney. Barry McNamee, at the other end, had half a chance when Long didn’t get full purchase on a fisted clearance before recovering to smother the follow-up from the former Derry City captain.

A minute before half-time, Mahdy