League Report: Dundalk 8 - 1 Bray Wanderers

A lazy Monday afternoon in Dundalk was disturbed by an avalanche of goals on the Carrick Road as The Lilywhites dispelled a hapless Bray by eight goals to one. It’s the second game in a row The Town have put on a show for the television cameras and one that emphatically sees them top the table at the end of the first series of games.

Stephen Kenny named an unchanged team from the team that beat Cork City and the Lilywhites produced a superb performance to keep them in the driving seat for the league title.

It took just two minutes for Dundalk to open the scoring through Richie Towell. Daryl Horgan looped an impressive ball over the Bray defence to find Towell just inside the edge of the box. The finish was even more impressive: Towell hit it on the volley past the stretching Stephen McGuinness for his tenth league goal.

Dundalk dominated possession and played high up the field. It took just seven minutes after the restart for the home side to strike again: In the ninth minute, a pinpoint Darren Meenan corner found the head of Brian Gartland to make it two. Bray really should have taken note.

Bray’s captain and former Lilywhite, David Cassidy, was a thorn in Dundalk’s side last year and he assumed his role as antagonist readily enough. He looked dangerous on the ball and was rewarded on the twenty minute mark with a penalty after Dane Massey barged into Michael Barker as he made ground into the box from the right wing.

Cassidy duly converted the penalty, but Bray’s respite lasted all of three minutes. Dundalk were three one up on the 23^rd minute. Again a corner from Meenan provided the assist and again a centre back heading home. Andy Boyle joined his fellow centre back on the scoresheet with an almost carbon copy of Gartland’s earlier goal.

Gartland was back on the scoresheet on the cusp of half time. He managed to bundle the ball home from, you’ve guessed it, a Meenan corner, to net his brace and make it a hat-trick of corner assists for Meenan in the first half. The game was held up after for a few minutes following this goal, as Bray ‘keeper Stephen McGuiness (who had been quite good despite the scoreline) received treatment and was eventually replaced by Brian Kane between the sticks.

The second half didn’t quite contain the same ferocious pace as the first, but Dundalk dominated possession nonetheless and managed the same tally of goals. It really had the appearance of a training game. Dundalk played the part of the forwards while Bray obliged by playing the part of deep-sitting defenders handing possession back time and time again.

Daryl Horgan has garnished a reputation for scoring spectacular goals. His 56^th minute effort was about as simple a goal as he has ever scored -Ronan Finn drew the Seagull’s defence and let Horgan steal in for a one-on-one with the ‘keeper where he coolly passed into the net.

The Lilywhites always looked dangerous and their passing was so fluid they were always going to force another opportunity. When Bray conceded a corner with twenty minutes to go Meenan was provider via a corner for a fourth time, this time left back Dane Massy headed home superbly to make it 6-1.

Dundalk were by no means out to embarrass Bray, but even though their tempo had relented, their neat passing couldn’t but create chances. Ronan Finn was a provider early in the second half but with Richie Towell being benched on the 67^th minute, he received more of the ball and looked threatening. On the 82^nd minute, John Mountney played Finn through on the left of the box, he rounded David Kane and poked home for his second league goal and Dundalk’s seventh of the match.

Daryl Horgan scored a typically Darly Horgan goal in the closing minutes of the game. Stephen O’Donnell rolled the ball to him on the left edge of the box and he thumped a laser-guided shot into the top right corner of the Bray goal. Brian Kane was beaten from the moment it left his foot. That made eight and a record league pummelling for the Seagulls.

Dundalk were near flawless in their performance, they hardly put a foot wrong and are still undefeated in the league. Bray on the other hand, have now conceded sixteen goals in their last three games. Their resurgence under Maciej Tarnogrodzki has faltered.

Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle (capt), Dane Massey; Chris Shields (Stephen O’Donnell 53), Richie Towell (Kurtis Byrne 66); Darren Meenan, Ronan Finn, Daryl Horgan; David McMillan (John Mountney 61).
Subs not used: Gabriel Sava (gk), Shane Grimes, Paddy Barrett, Jake Kelly.

Booked: None.

Bray Wanderers: Stephen McGuinness (Brian Kane 45+4); Michael Barker, Alan McNally, Hugh Douglas, Adam Mitchell; Peter McGlynn, David Cassidy (capt), Emika Onwubiko (David Scully 80), Ryan McEvoy, Gareth McDonagh (Daniel O’Reilly 46); Chris Lyons.
Subs not used: Luke Gallagher, James O’Donnell, Peter Durrad, Daniel Blackbyrne.

Booked: None.

Referee: Derek Tomney.

Attendance: 3,249

ExtraTime.ie Man of the Match: Darren Meenan (Dundalk FC).