Seán O’Connor scored in either half on a night when the main positive for ten-man Dundalk was the return of Stephen McDonnell following a four-month lay-off and the debut of 16-year-old Conor McDonald, as the Lilywhites fell to a 2-0 defeat by Saint Patrick’s Athletic at Oriel Park on Friday night. O’Connor broke the deadlock before the quarter-hour mark after a Peter Cherrie clearance fell into his path, and before the game got back underway the home side were down to ten men as Mark Quigley was given his marching orders for dissent. After threatening to double their advantage, St. Pat’s eventually did so when O’Connor fired in from a tight angle before the hour mark, as they kept up their title challenge with a comfortable victory.
Photos from the game, courtesy of Nigel Caldwell, can be viewed here.
Two changes
Dundalk manager Ian Foster made two changes to the team that bowed out of the FAI Ford Cup to Bohemians on Tuesday night as Ross Gaynor and Jason Byrne replaced the suspended Dean Bennett and injured Mark Griffin. Johnny Breen started on his 50th senior competitive appearance for the club. The opening chance fell to St. Pat’s in the opening seconds as Evan McMillan saw a header cleared in the six-yard box by Nathan Murphy. The visitors controlled the early exchanges and another effort arrived on ten minutes when the ball fell invitingly to Derek Pender whose volley from 35-yards landed the wrong side of Cherrie’s goal. On 13 minutes, Cherrie was tested when a free-kick was taken quickly to O’Connor whose low strike was well saved and held by the Scottish No1.
Turning point
However, moments later, the ‘keeper’s clearance fell only as far as O’Connor whose shot from range found its way into an empty net, and before the game could be restarted Dundalk were reduced to ten men when Quigley was dismissed for dissent. St. Pat’s could have doubled their lead shortly after when a corner was headed wide. On 21 minutes, Daniel North hit a first-time shot from the right angle of the box narrowly wide of the far post. With the referee winning no fans with his performance, Dundalk almost levelled against the run of play just past the half-hour mark when a cross found Gaynor at the back post and he controlled before teeing up the in-rushing Keith Ward but he completely missed the ball as the visitors survived. On 33 minutes, Cherrie produced a fine one-handed save to deny Paul Crowley’s header.
O’Connor doubler
Three minutes later, St. Pat’s should have doubled their lead when a neat through-ball by Shane McFaul into the area was chased by both Crowley and Daryl Kavanagh, the latter toe-poking it past Cherrie but the ball came back off the post and then hit the visiting No7 and went wide. On 42 minutes, the Dubliners had another chance to extend their advantage when a cross was knocked back across goal by North to O’Connor but he shot wildly over when well placed in the box. The first chance of the second half came on 55 minutes when a free-kick into the area was cleared to the 18-yard line where North connected, but his shot went off target. However, on 57 minutes, it was 2-0. Cian Byrne blocked the initial cross but the ball came to O’Connor on the right, and he drilled a shot into the back of net from a tight angle.
Debut
Dundalk almost got one back shortly after as Ward played in Jason Byrne but his shot was blocked by the out-rushing Rogers. On 70 minutes, Crowley had a chance inside the box but Cherrie got down to save. Three minutes earlier, McDonnell had come on in place of Gaynor to end a four-month spell on the sidelines following a knee injury, and with a quarter-of-an-hour remaining, McDonald was introduced to make his first-team debut, the Blackrock native a 16-year-old who is currently playing with the club’s Youths team. That was the highlight on an otherwise disappointing night for Dundalk, as their long wait for a home win over the Inchicore club will go on for at least another year.
DUNDALK FC: Peter Cherrie, Simon Madden ©, Cian Byrne, Carl McHugh, Nathan Murphy (Conor McDonald 75), Mark Quigley, Greg Bolger, Keith Ward, Ross Gaynor (Stephen McDonnell 67), Johnny Breen, Jason Byrne (Philip Duffy 87).
Booked: M Quigley (15), J Byrne (28), K Ward (54).
Sent-Off: M Quigley (15).
Unused Subs: Paul Murphy (GK), Chris Reilly, Glen Trainor.
SAINT PATRICK’S ATHLETIC FC: Gary Rogers, Derek Pender, Brian Shortall (Jake Carroll 90+1), Conor Kenna ©, Evan McMillan, Daryl Kavanagh (Derek Doyle 74), Shane McFaul, Paul Crowley, Seán O’Connor (Anthony Murphy 84), Danny North, Ian Daly.
Goals: S O’Connor (14, 57).
Booked: D North (40), P Crowley (45+2), S O’Connor (57).
Unused Subs: Chris Bennion (GK), Stephen Bradley, Shane Guthrie, John O’Connor.
Referee: Alan Kelly (Cork).
Attendance: 1,000.
