Adam Foley's injury-time winner sends Drogheda United to FAI Cup ...
DROGHEDA UNITED needed Adam Foley’s injury-time winner to break the hearts of First Division Wexford and book their FAI Cup final place.
The Drogs were heavy favourites but they were pushed all the way by James Keddy’s young team at Weavers Park.
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Foley’s last-gasp goal came after the Drogs turned the game on its head following Aaron Dobbs’ first-half Wexford opener.
Dobbs stunned most of the crowd again when he levelled exactly two minutes after Douglas James-Taylor’s header put Drogs 2-1 up.
Foley had earlier levelled the game for the Premier Division side but they needed a couple of bites at the cherry to seal their final date with Derry City.
Drogs boss Kevin Doherty said: “It means a lot as a club, from where we’ve come from, to be back in an FAI Cup final. It’s massive.
“We beat Derry last week but it’ll certainly be a bit different at the Aviva.
“They are experts at it and you only have to remember what they did to Shels a couple of years ago.
“It’s a credit to the players who have been absolutely brilliant.”
Keddy’s team produced a valiant effort. Eight of his starting XI were 23 or under, while three were teenagers.
He said: “It’s going to be hard. It’ll take us a while to get over that.”
And with Drogheda likely to face a promotion-relegation play-off and Wexford in the mix in the First Division, they may meet again. Soon.
Keddy added: “Listen, we wouldn’t be afraid of them. I’m sure they’re saying the same. It gives us a closer look at them. Football is funny as well. You could end up playing them.”
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There would certainly be no need for Wexford to fear Drogs on this showing, despite the obvious disappointment of missing out on an Aviva Stadium appearance.
The last First Division side to appear in the final was Shelbourne in 2012. There will not be a repeat in 2024 but the Drogs were certainly ran close.
The Premier Division side, in fine form of late, were slow out of the traps. They lacked their trademark intensity, allowing Wexford to play.
Kian Corbally and Thomas Oluwa especially were central to their threat.
Mikie Rowe and Oluwa produced flashes and Divin Ismala, on loan from Bohemians, put a header well over the bar.
The opener arrived when Corbally worked the ball wide to Oluwa, who crossed. Rowe met it at the front post and when Luke Dennison saved, Dobbs slammed home the loose ball.
It was no more than the Wexford side deserved for their first-half efforts but after the break, things changed as the underdogs sat back and Drogs assumed control.
They huffed and puffed until Foley — a first-half sub for the injured Frantz Pierrot — turned in Andrew Quinn’s smash across goal.
Drogs then took the lead when James-Taylor’s bullet header flashed past Conor Walsh.
If most inside Weavers Park thought that was that, they were very much mistaken.
Two minutes later, Dobbs scored again, this time bundling in Oluwa’s cross.
But at the death, Foley bagged his tenth goal of the season to end Drogs’ 11-year wait to be back in the FAI Cup decider.
DROGHEDA 3 - 2 WEXFORDSUN STAR MAN
ADAM FOLEY (Drogheda)
DROGHEDA UNITED: Dennison 7; Quinn 7, Webster 6, Bolger 7; Ahui 6, Brennan 6, Farrell 5 (Heeney 58, 6), Markey 6, Kane 6; Pierrot 5 (Foley 30, 8), James-Taylor 7.
WEXFORD: Walsh 6; Isamala 7, Temple 6, O’Malley 7, McHale 6 (Crawford 90, 6); Lovic 6 (Curtis 76, 6), Levingston 6, Corbally 8; Rowe 6; Dobbs 8 (Harnett 90, 6), Oluwa 8.
REFEREE: D MacGraith 6.
