Dundalk manager John Gill saw his side go clear at the top of the eircom League of Ireland First Division standings on Thursday night following a dominant display against title rivals, Waterford United at Oriel Park. However, shortly after the final whistle, the clearly incandescent boss couldn’t hide his anger at comments on one of the club’s unofficial websites, orielweb.com, as he blasted the personal and uncalled-for abuse that his players have been hit with recently.
 
Gill, a witness to the affect that the website had on certain players at the club last season due to similar abusive and derogatory remarks, firstly admitted his obvious delight with the result, before he revealed his disgust at some of the club’s so-called ‘supporters’. “I’m extremely happy,” Gill admitted to dundalkfc.com. “I said this week that it was only a game, it was about three points, but it was an important game. We were all disappointed with last week’s performance. "
 
Reflecting on his side’s performance, a much improved one from the last two displays against Wexford Youths and Sporting Fingal, Gill said: “I think the team showed a lot more hunger tonight. Some people might say it’s because we’re playing at home, but I disagree; I think it’s about the tempo and the way you pass the ball. I thought tonight in the second-half that we were very good; we passed the ball very well. I thought the second-half performance was exactly what we were looking for. The first-half was scrappy, because they’re a good side, and they’re very hard to break down. They’re physical and they’re direct, but we defended really, really well tonight. I thought we were well up for it.
 
“Again, it’s like every team, you have key players. We have a good squad, but we need the likes of Cassidy in the side, with his energy and passing range. Crowley was very good tonight, and he’s getting better and better with each game. Ian Ryan and Aidan Lynch were immense tonight. We’re like a different team when Lynch is in the side. He’s a leader. He gets people concentrating on their jobs and he’s my voice on the pitch. We could have, and probably should have, if we’re being fair, won by more.
 
“But it’s only one game in a series of 36 games. It’s very pleasing to win against probably one of our rivals. We’re there to be shot at now, but that’s the pressure that I like and the players like, and, hopefully, it’s upwards and onwards from here. You’re going to get inconsistency as well; if football went in straight lines and it was great every week, it would be a very boring game. As I said, there are going to be dips and troughs, but I learnt a lot this week from certain quarters about how badly they want the club to do.”
 
Last year, in nine attempts against the top two in the division, Cobh Ramblers and Finn Harps, Dundalk only won once. Defeating Waterford this early in the season should hand the Lilywhites an important psychological edge for the coming weeks and months, and Gill felt the win was a convincing one. “I thought we beat them well. Gareth (Cronin), in fairness, was honest enough in his appraisal of the game as well.
 
“We were very good, particularly in the second-half; that’s the kind of performance we’re looking for, but you might not always attain those standards. I thought some of the football was outstanding. Some people are going to say it’s the pitch, that we’re used to it, but it’s not. We’ve played like that on grass as well. There’s a great togetherness in that dressing-room. Six games into the league, we’ve won four, drawn two, we’ve scored nine and conceded three goals. If that’s not doing well, then I’d rather not.”
 
In conclusion, Gill dedicated the win to Mickey Fox, whose second anniversary fell on Thursday. “It was Mickey Fox’s anniversary today, and I dedicate that to him. It was my own father’s birthday as well, who died six months ago, so, hopefully, the two of them were looking down on us tonight.”