Wednesday 2 February 2011: Solitude, Belfast
A brace from Jason Byrne, a first club goal for Dean Bennett and a clinical Ross Gaynor strike saw a dominant Dundalk run out easy 4-1 winners over Cliftonville as the Lilywhites got their official pre-season schedule off to a flying start in extreme weather conditions at Solitude on Wednesday night. Dundalk were impressive throughout, albeit against a weakened home side, and they took a deserved lead late in the first half when Byrne connected with a Keith Ward cross. Byrne doubled his tally after the resumption and Bennett soon added another, before Gaynor got in on the act midway through the half. Cliftonville netted a late consolation through substitute Darren Stuart.
Hector debut
Dundalk manager Ian Foster handed starts to his two new signings, Michael Hector and Eoghan Osborne, who were part of a defence which also included a trialist, former Sporting Fingal and Shelbourne centre-half Gareth Whelan, a 23-year-old who was also previously on the books of Drogheda United. Right-back Simon Madden carried the captain’s armband for the second game in a row, having also skippered the side in a behind-closed-doors friendly at Oriel Park last Friday. And it was the Lilywhites defence that was tested first when, after just two minutes, goalkeeper Peter Cherrie was called into action to push a low effort behind. Moments later and Dundalk were on the front foot, Ward cutting in from the right and unleashing a 25-yard shot which flew over home No1 Jack Duffin’s crossbar.
Dundalk dominant
Dundalk began to dominate possession from that point, and on 12 minutes came the first in a series of well-worked moves. Bennett broke down the right wing and got to the by-line before delivering a cross for Ward whose effort went wide of the target from a good position inside the box. The visiting defence had little to worry about for most of the night but they survived a scare on 21 minutes when a mix-up between Hector and Cherrie saw the on-loan Reading defender’s back-pass go past his new teammate and narrowly wide of an empty goal. On 26 minutes, Dundalk again pressed forward and good link-up play on the left flank between Stephen McDonnell and Gaynor allowed the latter time to cross, his delivery cleared by Dermot McVeigh only as far as Byrne whose 20-yard effort flashed past the ‘keeper’s right-hand post.
Byrne opener
Past the half-hour mark and Dundalk continued to go in search of the opening goal, and it was almost created through a superb passing movement. Republic of Ireland U19 internationals Osborne and Daniel Kearns combined down the left, a cheeky back-heel setting Kearns free towards the by-line, and after some trickery he returned the ball to Osborne inside the box with a neat pass, only for Kevin Bradley to block the final ball to Byrne who was waiting to pounce. However, the former Shelbourne and Bohemians striker had to wait just five more minutes to break the deadlock as a cleverly-worked free-kick outwitted the Cliftonville defence. Ward was fouled close to the corner flag, with Gaynor rolling the resulting set-piece to his fellow winger whose cross to the back post was connected with by Byrne, who stabbed the ball to the net from close range.
Quick double
At half-time, Foster decided upon three changes as Paul Murphy, Nathan Murphy and Johnny Breen were all introduced. While the first half was played in bitterly cold weather, the second period had worse to come as the teams were forced to play in blizzard-like conditions. Dundalk doubled their lead just four minutes after the break when Byrne grabbed his second – and third for the club since joining from Bohs – as he finished superbly from a difficult angle with a stunning shot from the left into the far top corner. On 55 minutes, it was 3-0, this time Madden cutting the ball back for Bennett who rifled in a superb effort to net his first goal in a Dundalk shirt. Byrne was then replaced by Marc Griffin, and shortly that final substitution by the visitors, they could have added another but Bennett was denied well by Duffin after a cross from the right by Gaynor.
Wallace busy
Gaynor then, from the other side, got on the scoresheet when, on 66 minutes, he latched onto a through-ball from Ward before finishing clinically to the far bottom corner. Dundalk could have made it 5-0 on 75 minutes when Breen found himself in behind, but his shot was well saved by replacement ‘keeper Andrew Wallace, who pushed the ball wide. From the resulting corner came another chance, this time for Griffin, but his powerful shot was somehow pushed onto the bar by Wallace. Dundalk seemed intent to bag another but they found the Cliftonville ‘keeper in inspired form as he once again denied Breen, this time pushing a low effort from a tight angle behind. On 80 minutes, the hosts got in on the scoring act when Paul Murphy, who replaced Cherrie at the interval, failed to hold a long-range shot from Rory Donnelly, with Stuart reacting quickest to prod the ball in from six-yards. The final chance of the night came with just four minutes remaining but Griffin’s attempted flick did not trouble Wallace.
CLIFTONVILLE FC (4-4-2): Jack Duffin (Andrew Wallace 65); Aaron Smyth (Paddy McNally 56), Kevin Bradley (Conor McEntee 73), Jason Bannon, Dermot McVeigh; Conal Burns (Tony Casey 65), Mark Burns (Darren Stuart 62), Barry Johnston, Ronan Scannell © (Kevin O’Neill 73); Jody Lynch (Matt Rooney 65), Rory Donnelly.
Goal: D Stuart (80).
Booked: None.
Unused Subs: None.
DUNDALK FC (4-4-1-1): Peter Cherrie (Paul Murphy HT); Simon Madden ©, Michael Hector, Gareth Whelan, Eoghan Osborne (Nathan Murphy HT); Keith Ward, Dean Bennett, Stephen McDonnell (Johnny Breen HT), Ross Gaynor; Daniel Kearns; Jason Byrne (Marc Griffin 60).
Goals: J Byrne (37, 49), D Bennett (55), R Gaynor (66).
Booked: None.
Unused Subs: None.
Referee: Ian Hall (Belfast).
