On 19 October 2007, Drogheda United defeated Cork City 2-1, clinching their first League of Ireland title with three matches to spare.Drogheda United was founded in 1975 as a merger between two previously established clubs--a former Drogheda United that dated back to 1919 and Drogheda FC, founded in 1962. Despite some early successes, including winning the 1984 League of Ireland Cup, they spent most of the intervening years moving back and forth between the top two divisions before securing their Premier Division foothold in the early 2000s.
At the end of 2005, they had added an FAI Cup their trophy room, followed shortly by the 2006 Setanta Cup. But the league title eluded them until the 2007 season. That year, Drogheda rose to the top of the table in June and held fast for the remainder of the season. They had drawn against Cork City in both of the previous meetings that year and appeared to be headed for another draw with the teams level at 1-1 near the death. But Drogheda striker Guy Bates netted a goal in the final minute to clinch the title ahead of second-place finisher St. Patrick's Athletic.
Although they also won a second Setanta Cup that season, the success was short-lived. They finished 2008 in 8th place, then dropped to 9th place in 2009, avoiding relegation only through a 2-0 win over Bray Wanderers in the relegation playoff.
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