Friendly Report: Dundalk 4 - 1 Cliftonville

SSE Airtricity League of Ireland champions Dundalk dusted off the snow and the stiffness of the off-season to emerge comfortable winners 4-1 over Cliftonville at Oriel Park.

Cliftonville made seven changes from the starting XI that beat Portadown last week to keep them second in the Danske Bank Premiership.

There was a familiar feel to the Dundalk line-up, the noticeable absentee being Richie Towell – last season’s goal machine who departed for Brighton and Hove Albion.

A cagey start from the home side was almost masked by a flurry of falling snow: there were misplaced and mis-paced passes aplenty, which allowed Cliftonville possession early on. As the snow dissipated, so too did the quantity of errors and Dundalk soon got a hold on the game.

Daryl Horgan hit his first on the 18 minute mark. Ronan Finn and Patrick McEleney teed him up to curl a tasty shot into the top left of the net beyond ‘keeper Peter Burke.

Horgan secured a brace 13 mins later, when John Mountney capitalised on a bit of bad luck to turn a Cliftonville clearance into a Dundalk attack; he controlled the wayward ball superbly and pinpointed McEleney who once again freed Horgan who blasted home to make it two.

By the time the break came Dundalk looked assured, if still well off the blistering pace they set last year. The Lilywhites introduced defenders Shane Grimes and Sean Gannon while Cliftonville introduced six sets of fresh legs.

The Reds managed to test Gary Rogers a number of times from distance before Dundalk retaliated as the hour mark approached. John Mountney was alive to a through ball that left him in acres of space to line up an unsavable piledriver from 15 yards

There was a bit of a lull in the game punctuated with both sides making the most of their substitutions before Stephen O’Donnell netted a captain’s goal on 74 minutes to make it 4-0.

Late pressure from the visitors paid dividends when big Darren Murphy battled into the box and finished well to get his side on the scoresheet.

It would prove little more than a consolation goal but Cliftonville won’t be pressing any panic buttons as this was very much their second-string side. The Reds' league campaign is alive and kicking as it comes into the final stretch and that will remain their focus.

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny will be pleased with the promising debut of Patrick MeEleney and his sides’ dominance of the game but will unlikely have learned too much about how the Champions will line out upon their return to competitive league action.

Dundalk FC: Gary Rogers; Paddy Barrett (Sean Gannon, 46), Brian Gartland (Shane Grimes, 46), Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Stephen O’Donnell (Anton Reilly, 76), Daryl Horgan (Carlton Ubaezuono, 88), Ronan Finn, Patrick McEleney (George Poynton, 67)l, John Mountney, (Michael O’Connor, 76); David McMillian.

Subs not used: Gabriel Sava.

Cliftonville FC: Peter Burke; Jamie McGovern (John Flynn, 46), Caoimhin Booner, George McMullan (Michael Tolan, 72), Patrick McAllistar (Ross Lavery, 46); Paul George (Jay Knowles, 46), Martin Donnelly (Stephen Garrett, 46), Chris Curran (Andrew Mooney, 70), Francis Brennan (Richard Gowdy,82); David McDaid (Darren Murphy, 46), Daniel Hughes (Jay Donnolly, 46).

Subs not used: None.

Referee: Paul Tuite.

Attendance: 1,000 (est).

Extratime.ie Player of the Match: Daryl Horgan (Dundalk).