“Disappointing result but good performance”

Dundalk FC’s U-14 Girls were beaten 3-0 by a very strong Shelbourne side in their FAI junior cup quarter-final replay at Tolka Park on Saturday 8th March.  Team manager Andy Lennon said afterwards that in his opinion the result was not a fair reflection of the preparation or performance put in by the Dundalk girls.  “It was a very physical end-to-end game and it just didn’t go our way.  In spite of that I’m very pleased with the effort that the girls put in for this match”. 

To say that the game was a very physical one seems a bit of an understatement when one considers that eleven substitutions had to be made all due to injuries sustained during the match.  Luckily enough the Dundalk squad is big enough to have been able to cope with this situation.  The large number of injuries also impacted on team tactics for the game as the two forwards, Joanie Gray and Ashling Dunne had to switch from their regular positions with Joanie moving to the left wing and Ashling playing up front on her own.  As Shels switched to playing five at the back it made it impossible for the Dundalk girls to break them down. 

But the girls have to put this defeat behind them and move on because they have another important away fixture next Sunday against Slane in the semi-final of the Drogheda Junior Cup.  The Dundalk girls go into this game with an 8-2 advantage so here’s hoping they will be able to put in another fine performance.  Everyone at Dundalk FC wishes the girls all the best for their next fixture.