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Match Report: Dundalk FC 2–0 Kerry FC
- Sean McGuinness
- May 24
- 3 min read
Oriel Park
Friday, May 23rd, 2025
Dundalk FC extended their unbeaten run in the SSE Airtricity Men’s First Division with a composed 2-0 victory over Kerry FC at Oriel Park, thanks to two moments of brilliance from Leo Gaxha and Daryl Horgan.
The win keeps the Lilywhites six points clear at the top of the table as they edge closer to the halfway point of the season.
First Half: Evenly Poised Until Gaxha Strikes
It was Kerry who threatened first, with Joe Adams finding space and skipping past Shane Tracey before forcing a solid save from Enda Minogue. The visitors continued to look dangerous from set pieces, and Minogue had to be alert to punch clear several deliveries.
Dundalk nearly opened the scoring midway through the half when Keith Ward’s corner found Vinny Leonard, but the center-half's header drifted just wide of the far post.
Aodh Dervin then came to the rescue at the other end, clearing a goal-bound shot from Carl Mujaguzi off the line after a scramble in the box.
Just as the first half seemed destined to end level, a moment of magic gave the hosts the lead. In the 43rd minute, Leo Gaxha gathered a loose ball on the right, lifted his head, and sent in a curling cross that deceived everyone, including Kerry keeper Tim-Oliver Hiemer, and floated into the top corner via the inside of the far post.
Second Half: Captain Horgan Seals It
Dundalk thought they had doubled their lead shortly after the restart when Horgan slotted home from a Gbemi Arubi cross, but the flag was up for offside.
Horgan wouldn’t be denied for long. In the 58th minute, the skipper picked up possession at the edge of the box, shifted the ball onto his left, and whipped a sublime strike into the far corner, an unstoppable effort that left Hiemer rooted. It was a goal worthy of winning any game and typified the winger’s quality and experience.
The hosts almost added a third with Luke Mulligan’s low strike forcing Hiemer to tip around the post, while Gaxha came agonizingly close to a second, rattling the inside of the post following a slick move involving Horgan.
Substitutes Andy Paraschiv and Dean Ebbe also had late sights of goal but were unable to convert, while Dundalk's defense stood firm in the final minutes to preserve a fifth clean sheet of the campaign.
Dundalk FC:
Minogue; Dervin, Leonard, Animasahun, Keogh; Groome (Kenny 46), Tracey (Paraschiv 46); Gaxha, Ward (Mulligan 46), Horgan; Arubi (Ebbe 62)
Goals: Gaxha (43’), Horgan (58’)
Kerry FC:
Hiemer; Williams, Brookwell, McQueen (Alabi 77), Aladesanusi; Mujaguzi (O’Connell 86), Crowe, Teehan; McGrath, Adams (Gleeson 77), Palmer (Honkola 61)
Referee: Lucas Keating
Final Score: Dundalk FC 2–0 Kerry FC
Attendance: 1,586
Kilduff’s Thoughts
Speaking after the match, Dundalk boss Ciarán Kilduff offered a candid assessment of his team’s performance and praised the resilience of his young squad:
“It was probably our worst 45 minutes of the season,” Kilduff admitted. “We were sluggish and slow, and they were hurting us. But Enda [Minogue] kept us in it, and that’s why we brought him here.”
The manager acknowledged the mental and physical strain on his young players, with many juggling football and full-time education.
“Ten of the twenty lads in the squad tonight are still in school or college. Some are doing their Leaving Cert. The effort they’re putting in is phenomenal, they’ve just gone 16 games unbeaten.”
Despite the win, Kilduff made clear the high standards being set within the dressing room:
“Sometimes winning isn’t just enough. We’ve set standards, and when we fall below them, we call it out. No one in that room at half-time thought we were good enough.”
But he remained positive about the bigger picture:
“We’re top of the league. If we’re not proud of the performance, we’re definitely proud of the result and proud of the group. We wouldn’t swap places with anyone.”
Kilduff now turns his focus to keeping the momentum going as Dundalk head into a vital part of the season:
“We know the objective here. We have to win every week. That pressure is a privilege and the lads wouldn’t have it any other way.”
🎙Kilduff’s Post Match Interview
📹 Match Highlights
Next Up
With momentum firmly in our favor, we now turn our attention to next week's clash away to Wexford, our final fixture before the mid-season break.
