Will Patching's time in a Derry City shirt may well be nearing an end but he’s not going quietly.
Their on-loan midfielder floored Drogheda with two similar, quick-thinking free-kicks either side of Mark Doyle’s equaliser from the penalty spot.
Both sides finished with 10-men when subs Darren Cole and Jordan Adeyenmo were dismissed on second yellow cards for separate incidents late on.
But Patching was the headline grabber.
If there was any doubt that he meant to shoot with his first goal from 30-yards, his carbon copy second from 20-yard settled any doubts.
Down the pecking order at Dundalk under their former boss Filippo Giobvagnoli, the ex-Manchester City youth has been one of the league’s best players this season.
And Lilywhites interim boss Jim Magilton this week refused to rule out recalling the silky midfielder when his deal expires at the end of June.
It would be a cruel blow for the Candystripes as Patching has been central to their revival under Ruaidhri Higgins who made it 13 points from 15 away from home since taking charge last month.
Ten of their 14 goals this season have come directly from set pieces and Patching was flawless here in that regard and opened the scoring after 10 minutes.
At first glance, his 30-yard delivery was a run of the mill, whipped delivery into the box.
But it evaded everyone and skipped home. But under closer inspection from replays, you sensed he knew exactly what he was doing.
Drogheda goalkeeper David Odumoso was braced for a cross and certainly wasn’t unsighted by any wall.
But he left his near post exposed and while it was far from gaping, Patching rolled the dice and got his rewards.
James Akintunde ought to have put the Candystripes out of sight on the half hour but his finish from Eoin Toal’s booming header was poor.
Drogheda knew it was a let off, but by then were already mounting a response to the early setback.
Danny O’Reilly twice teased the Derry goal with headers and twice midfielder Joe Thomson was the last man back scrambling to clear.
But there was nothing dynamic about Drogheda’s play and, game as they were, Derry kept them at arm’s length.
They needed a spark and Adeyemo - scorer of a brace against Longford on Monday - provided it off the bench early in the second-half.
His physicality helped to rejuvenate Drogheda’s attack and they equalised in the 62nd minute.
Dane Massey’s cross was handled by Cameron McJannett when he tussled with O’Reilly. Doyle - the league’s top scorer - drilled the spotkick down the middle.
But Drogheda’s rescue mission was short-lived as Patching put the visitors back in front with 16 minutes to play.
Gary Deegan fouled Jack Malone on the edge of the box and, again, Odumoso left his near post exposed.
But despite having four men in the wall to beat this time rather than one, Patching sent another rocket through the eye of a needle.
DROGHEDA UNITED: Odumosu 5; Philips 5 (Heeney 18, 6), O’Reilly 6, Massey 6; Brown 6, Deegan 6, Markey 5, Murray 5 (Clarke 61, 5), Kane 5; Doyle 6; Lyons 5 (Adeyemo 56, 6)
DERRY CITY: Gartside 7; Toal 7, McJannett 6, Coll 6; Boyce 6, Thomson 6 (Cole 73, 4), Harkin 7, Lafferty 5 (Malone 64, 5); Patching 8; Parkhouse 5 (Fitzgerald 73, 5), Akintunde 6 (Barr 90, 5)
Referee: A Reale
