League Report: Dundalk 3 - 0 Derry City

In an entertaining game in Oriel Park, Dundalk ran out 3-0 winners over Derry City on Monday evening in the Airtricity Premier Division.

In what was a disjointed opening to the game, neither team managed to fashion any real chances of note. Derry pressed Dundalk high up the pitch and sought to play the ball over the top into the channels behind the full-backs.

Dundalk’s more fluid style of play allowed them to stretch the Derry defence sufficiently to create their first chance on 12 minutes, but there was nobody on the end of Kurtis Byrne’s low delivery across the six-yard box.

Dundalk’s Richie Towell went close on 16 minutes when he latched onto a partially cleared ball just at the edge of the Derry box, but his low drive was just wide of Gerard Doherty’s left hand post.

As the game approached the half hour mark, Dundalk fluffed an excellent chance to take the lead; Dane Massey connected with a well placed corner kick but shot over when it looked easier to score.

A serious looking head injury to Ryan McBride held up proceedings for twelve minutes as he received treatment on the field and was eventually stretchered off. It is understood that the Derry City defender was knocked unconscious after a clash with Pat Hoban and swallowed his tongue.

Upon resumption of the game, Dundalk had a number of half chances in the lead up to half time but failed to make them count. Tom Connolly’s whistle signalled half time after twelve additional minutes, bringing to an end a half devoid of any real creativity, noteworthy only because of a small number of Dundalk chances and an unfortunate injury to Ryan McBride.

The second half resumed with Dundalk on the attack again, Richie Towell breaking up play in the middle, feeding O’Donnell who carried the ball forward 50 metres deep into the Derry half, slipped the ball through to the overlapping Towell, but just overcooked it allowing Doherty to collect.

The home side continued to pile on the pressure with Daryl Horgan proving to be a handful for the Derry rearguard. On 50 minutes, Dundalk had a goal disallowed as Towell made great progress down the left, Horgan whipped the ball to the far post and Kurtis Byrne met it with his toe to poke it into the net, only for the linesman to rule it out for offsid

From then on, Dundalk appeared to shift up a gear, noticeably increasing the tempo of their play in search of a goal.

The breakthrough came in the 63rd minute from a set piece as Brian Gartland rose highest to guide home Kurtis Byrne’s header and give the home side a well deserved lead.

Dundalk wrapped up the points on 74 minutes with a sweeping counter attack. From a Derry free kick, Dundalk’s defence cleared to Kurtis Byrne who carried the ball forward brilliantly picked out Richie Towell with a beautifully weighted through ball and Towell made no mistake, finishing the ball emphatically to the roof of the net, giving Doherty no chance of saving it.

The home side saw the game out from that point on, retaining possession well and running the clock down. Towell could well have doubled his tally had Ger Doherty not been alert to his snap shot at the near post.

Dundalk, however would get their third goal on 88 minutes through substitute David McMillan. He cut into the box from the right hand side a drilled the ball low past Doherty, putting the icing on the cake for the home side.

Three nil it ended at Oriel Park, Dundalk yet again enhanced their title credentials, while Roddy Collins will be left to ponder the reasons why his side were so comprehensively defeated on “the worst pitch in the world”.

Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Sean Gannon, Andy Boyle, Brian Gartland, Dane Massey; Stephen O’Donnell (c), Chris Shields, Richie Towell; Kurtis Byrne (Darren Meenan 76), Pat Hoban (David McMillan 56), Daryl Horgan.
Subs not used: Gabriel Sava (gk), Mark Rossiter, Ruaidhri Higgins, Marc Griffin, Simon Kelly.

Booked: Hoban (25), Gartland (67).

Derry City: Gerard Doherty; Roddy Collins, Cliff Byrne, Ryan McBride (Dean Jarvis 42), Aaron Barry; Mark Stewart (Ryan Curran 64), Danny Ventre, Barry Molloy, Mark Timlin (Michael Duffy 46), John Paul McGovern; Enda Curran.
Subs not used: Ciaran Gallagher (gk), Shane McEleney, Patrick McEleney, Rory Patterson.

Booked: Ventre (45 + 10), C Byrne (52), Duffy (71),

Referee: Tom Connolly

Attendance: 1,891

Extratime.ie Man of the Match: Stephen O’Donnell (Dundalk).