A late goal from Declan O’Brien sealed Dundalk’s passage to the last 16 of the FAI Ford Cup for the fifth year running as the Lilywhites overcame a slight second-half scare from Mervue United at Terryland Park on Friday night. Strikes inside the opening ten minutes from Ger Rowe and Shaun Kelly appeared to have set the visitors on the way to an easy victory but their First Division opponents fought back, a strike just past the hour-mark from Dave Goldbey throwing them a lifeline, before O’Brien’s finish eleven minutes from time killed off the game.

Lightening Lilies
Starting the match with the same team that finished last week’s league win over Bray Wanderers, Dundalk found the perfect start when they hit the front after less than three minutes as Rowe connected with a cross from Tiarnán Mulvenna, the 24-year-old making it two in two games as he coolly slotted into the bottom corner from 15-yards. Shaun Kelly then doubled Dundalk’s advantage when he scored a deserved first club goal as he raced on to a Mulvenna through-ball before finishing well past the lone ‘keeper.

Missed chances
In complete control, Sean Connor’s men could have hit the net again soon after but efforts from Michael Coburn and Chris Turner went off-target, before the manager was forced into two quick changes as goalscorer Kelly and Coburn were forced to retire through injury, the duo being replaced by Mark Griffin and Michael McGinlay respectively. Dundalk should have wrapped the game up on the stroke of half-time when Rowe latched on to a poor backpass, however, a poor effort from the striker was easily gathered by Eoin Martin in the Mervue goal.

Mervue fightback
On the hour-mark, another good chance fell the way of Mulvenna but his shot was pushed around the post by Martin before Mervue, who were slowly beginning to find their feet, stunned Dundalk when Goldbey tapped in a Rory Gaffney cross from close range. That strike came as a wake-up call to the visitors, though, and they kept Mervue at bay quite comfortably before O’Brien made the game safe on 79 minutes. First-half substitute Mark Griffin provided the cross for the former Drogheda United captain whose header proved too strong for Martin who spilled the ball into the net. Turner then could have added a fourth but his powerful long-range effort was denied by a fine Martin stop.

MERVUE UNITED: Eoin Martin; Nicky Curran, Mark Ludden, Damian O’Rourke, Martin Conneely; Rynal Browne, Kevin Barrett, Gary Traynor, Dave Goldbey, Kenny Farrell (Kevin Crehan 55), Alex Lee (Rory Gaffney 42).
Goal: D Goldbey (62).
Unused Subs: David O’Brien, Mike Tierney, Ryan Griffin, Mixie Harty.

DUNDALK FC (4-4-2): Chris Bennion; Michael Coburn (Mark Griffin 28), Simon Kelly, Liam Burns (Kevin McArdle 73), Michael Synnott; Shaun Kelly (Michael McGinley 35), Chris Turner, Thomas Heary, Declan O’Brien; Ger Rowe, Tiarnán Mulvenna.
Goals: G Rowe (3), Shaun Kelly (9), D O’Brien (79).
Unused Subs: Ryan Coulter (GK), Nathan Murphy.

Referee: Padraig Sutton (Clare).