Drogheda got off to a difficult start. Due to bankruptcy, the club went part-time and lost their entire league-winning squad, and manager, Paul Doolin, who took over Cork City. Former Cork and Longford boss Alan Mathews took over. Mathews had to sign a side of semi-pros and free agents. Drogheda were in the bottom half of the table for the whole season, despite some shock wins. On 10 November 2009 they beat Bray Wanderers 2–0 in a relegation play-off. 2010 season The 2010 season was disastrous on and off the pitch. Drogheda started terribly and after a 6–0 loss at the hands of Sligo Rovers on 15 May, Alan Mathews quit his managerial post. The club appointed youth team coach and Drogheda native Darius Kierans as manager even though he had yet to complete his Europa A licence which is an FAI requirement for league managers. After much objection from the FAI, Kierans became Director of Football and the club appointed Paul Lumsden as Interim Manager. Lumsden took the team for only one game before resigning. Brian Donnelly was then appointed as the second Interim Manager of the season but he too resigned in September. On 27 September, the club announced the imminent arrival as manager of another former player – Bobby Browne. Despite finishing rock-bottom of the table with only four wins and nine draws (a total of 21 points) in 2010 and being relegated, Drogheda United were reprieved after the extinction of Sporting Fingal in February 2011. 2011–2013: Mick Cooke 2011 season Mick Cooke, manager of Monaghan took over as manager on 27 February 2011, becoming the sixth Drogheda manager in nine months. Cooke appointed former Drogs goalkeeper, Robbie Horgan as his assistant, and inherited the players who had been signed by Bobby Browne to play in the First Division so hopes weren't high. After an awful start, Drogheda beat local rivals Dundalk 2–1 in Oriel Park. The win turned their season around and despite operating on the lowest playing budget in the league, Drogheda managed to avoid relegation. Shortly after, Cooke put pen to paper on a new three-year deal with the club. 2012 season In 2012, Cooke and Horgan set about building on the foundations of the previous season. Cooke finally had his own team of players and despite having less than a tenth of the budget that the club had in the glory days under