Shamrock Rovers title hopes dented with Drogheda draw

Douglas James-Taylor scored a terrific second half equaliser as bottom-of-the-table Drogheda United showed admirable resolve to come from behind to frustrate Shamrock Rovers at Tallaght Stadium.

The Walsall loanee's fourth goal in five games since joining last month edges Drogheda, unbeaten now in four games in all competitions, to within two points of Louth neighbours Dundalk in the battle to avoid the automatic relegation place.

Conversely, the result was very much a missed opportunity by the champions following leaders Shelbourne’s defeat at Sligo Rovers and Derry City also dropping points this weekend.

Stephen Bradley’s side thus drop to fifth place in the table, ten points behind Shelbourne, after a result and performance they certainly wouldn’t have wanted ahead of their big Europa League third round, second leg tie with Slovenians Celje on Thursday.

Unchanged from their last three games Drogheda gave Rovers a fright as early as 50 seconds into the tie.

An attack down the right saw Shane Farrell pick out James-Taylor who headed over when he ought to have hit the target.

With six changes from their 1-0 defeat in Europe last Thursday, Rovers did just that to take the lead with their first significant foray forward on six minutes.

Drogheda defender James Bolger miskicked under pressure from Darragh Burns who had skipped through onto Gary O’Neill’s ball down the line.

Burns, whose last goal was against Drogheda at the end of April, was composure personified as he took a controlling touch to calmly side-foot past Luke Dennison for his fifth league goal of the season.

Rovers, who had beaten Drogheda 4-0 and 2-0 in their earlier meetings this season, then enjoyed plenty of the ball for good spells as they looked to extend that