Pre-season: Dundalk 2 - 0 Wexford Youths
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For the hardy souls who spurned a night in front of the fire with the Merseyside derby for the friendly showdown between Dundalk and Wexford Youths, they were treated to the home side’s opening win of 2014 in an assured display that made it look like they had never been away.
Both sides played some neat passing football at times that made it an enjoyable evening’s action despite the cold conditions.
David McMillan proved to be an early danger but he passed up a trio of chances inside the opening 20 minutes, twice cutting in to fire low with efforts that Graham Doyle thwarted and also headed a Kurtis Byrne cross wide of the mark.
Patrick Hoban was next to go closest for Dundalk as he drilled a low strike from another enticing Byrne delivery inches wide of the mark.
After 28 minutes, the opener arrived. McMillan fed Hoban inside the box and, ever the predatory instinct, immediately looked for goal. With all angles covered, he unselfishly laid back to the edge of the box where Sean Gannon was lurking and he coolly stroked the ball tidily into the corner.
Two minutes later they had doubled that advantage as the provider turned predator when Hoban got his first goal of the calendar year. The ball fell kindly to him from a knock down inside the area and the Galway native was never going to miss from close range.
Gannon and Daryl Horgan, when he entered from the bench in the second half, showed what shrewd signings they could prove to be for the Lilywhites over the course of the season.
The introduction of a glut of second half substitutes took something of the sting out of the contest for both sides with a last gasp block from Killian Cantwell preventing first Marc Griffin from putting them ahead and then clearing off the line to deny John Mountney.
Wexford were not without their chances though and much of their attacking threat this season will certainly come from the inventiveness of Danny Furlong in the final third and he produced a good stop from Gabriel Sava with a classy volley.
Daryl Horgan also flashed a volley of his own inches wide of the target before the end of a contest in which Dundalk ran out deserving winners but also once from which both sides can take plenty of positives.
DUNDALK: Gabriel Sava; Mark Rossiter (Dane Massey 59), Simon Kelly (Andy Boyle 59), Chris Shields, Sean Gannon Ruaidhri Higgins, John Mountney, Graham Fisher (Richie Towell H/T); Kurtis Byrne (Daryl Horgan 59), Patrick Hoban (Marc Griffin 59), David McMillan.
Subs not used: Ciaran O’Connor, Conor McDonald, Manny Kaguako, Peter Cherrie.
WEXFORD YOUTHS: Graham Doyle (Graham Holmes 82); Craigh Shortt (Ryan Delaney 65), Craig McCabe, Killian Cantwell, Jimmy Dermody; Jason McHugh, Nathan West, Eric Molloy, Danny Fitzpatrick (Daryl Power H/T); Danny Furlong, Darragh Walshe (Graham Delaney 59).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
Attendance: 500 (estimate)
Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Sean Gannon
