League Report: Dundalk FC 5 - 0 St Patrick's Athletic

Dundalk picked up their first victory of the 2023 league season with a five goal hammering of St Patrick’s Athletic at a chilly Oriel Park on Friday night. First half goals from Pat Hoban and Louie Annesley were added to by strikes from Rayhaan Tulloch, Dan Kelly and the impressive Connor Malley.

Ahead of the game, Stephen O’Donnell made a number of changes - positional and personnel wise - following last weekend’s defeat at Dalymount Park. In defence, Darragh Leahy returned to the starting lineup for the first time this season with Hayden Muller occupying the right back berth vacated by Archie Davies. Louie Annesley was also slotted into centre half instead of left back. Further up the field, there were starting debuts for last week’s goalscorer Johannes Yli-Kokko and on loan winger Rayhaan Tulloch.

For the visitors, Serge Atakayi and ex UCD frontman Tommy Lonergan were replaced in the Saints attack by Mark and Eoin Doyle respectively. With Danny Rogers expected to be missing for an extended period, St Pat’s had the experienced Dean Lyness on the bench - the 31 year old has over a century of senior appearances over a professional career spanning 15 years and a number of clubs across England and Scotland.

With St Pat’s unbeaten in the league in 2023 and Dundalk without a win, a draw was always a likely outcome - especially given the fact that half the fixtures between the sides in 2022 ended in stalemate too.

However, Dundalk and Pat Hoban had different ideas and with six minutes on the clock they drew first blood. The Loughrea native’s front post bullet header redirected a Connor Malley free kick beyond David Odumosu to move him closer to Dundalk great Joey Donnelly’s scoring record - the difference standing now at a half dozen strikes.

On the quarter hour things got even better for the home side as Louie Annesley stayed forward from a free kick and the Gibraltar international tapped home Hayden Muller’s cross from close range to double the lead and open his goalscoring account for the Lilywhites.

But for the alert defending of Joe Redmond it could have been three with less than half an hour played- the former Drogheda United centre half stretching to head an inswinging Darragh Leahy cross away from the inrushing Pat Hoban. Despite not having a real save of note, both keepers were kept busy throughout the opening period - Nathan Shepperd coming from his line on a number of occasions to clear while his opposite number showed some astute passing ability when found by his defenders.

The game settled into a midfield battle for a period until briefly springing into life with a chance apiece - the backtracking Darragh Leahy slid in to deny Jake Mulraney at the back post before the dancing feet of loanee Rayhaan Tulloch were eventually crowded out by the retreating Athletic defenders as Dundalk broke from the resultant corner.

Pat’s came close again as the half drew to a close- Mulraney’s inswinging free kick crashed off the post before the home side eventually cleared the ball for a corner and extended their period of pressure at the end of the opening period.

With both sides facing into a second fixture on Monday night, the respective management teams turned to their benches in the second half- Tim Clancy the first to make a move by replacing Jamie Lennon with the attacking energy of Tommy Lonergan who tormented the Dundalk defence while at UCD last season, finding the net twice against the Lilywhites in The Students’ Belfield victory last September.

Dundalk exploited the space left by the absence of Lennon in midfield as Louie Annesley had room to tee up a shot from distance. HIs swerving effort was batted out by Odumosu only for the onrushing Rayhaan Tulloch to prod the ball into the unguarded net within the opening moments of the half. Worse was to come for the visitors two minutes later as Dan Kelly, who scored the winner at Oriel Park last season, danced past a couple of static defenders to find the net from inside the area.

Clancy reacted once more and removed both Curtis and Eoin Doyle from the action- both men having picked up bookings at the hands of match referee Paul McLaughlin. Indeed, the Meathman had played his entire deck with over twenty minutes remaining as Atakayi, Carthy and Thimmermans were brought in for a taste of the action ahead of Monday’s trip to The Showgrounds.

Ex Sligo player, sub Keith Ward came close to scoring as the second half  energy was diminished with the plethora of substitutions and distance on the scoreboard between the team- his angled finish just sliding wide of Odumosu’s far post and sparing the Pat’s defence further damage. However, it was only a temporary reprieve and moments after denying Connor Malley from distance, the keeper was picking the ball out of his net for a fifth time as the former Rochdale man strode through the heart of the Pat’s defence to thump the ball to the net and send the home fans into celebration mode once more.

The majority of the three and a half thousand packed into Oriel Park will be hoping to see a similar performance on Monday as Shelbourne visit the Carrick Road while St Patrick’s Athletic travel to Sligo knowing a repeat of tonight’s showing will earn precious little.

Dundalk: Nathan Shepperd; Louie Annesley, Andy Boyle, Darragh Leahy (Wasiri Williams 88), Hayden Muller; Daniel Kelly (Keith Ward 67), Connor Malley, Greg Sloggett, Rayhaan Tulloch (Cameron Elliott 77), Johannes Yli-Kokko (John Martin 67); Patrick Hoban (Ryan O'Kane 77).

Subs not used: Peter Cherrie, Mark Byrne, Archie Davies, Anthony Moyo.

Booked: Rayhaan Tulloch (45), Daniel Kelly (53).

Sent off: None.

St. Patrick's Athletic: David Odumosu; Anto Breslin, Sam Curtis (Tom Grivosti 54), Noah Lewis, Joe Redmond; Mark Doyle, Chris Forrester, Vladislav Kreida (Conor Carty 69), Jamie Lennon (Thomas Lonergan 46), Jake Mulraney (Thijs Timmermans 69); Eoin Doyle (Serge Atakayi 61).

Subs not used: Dean Lyness, Jay McGrath, Ben McCormack, Jason McClelland.

Booked: Sam Curtis (45), Vladislav Kreida (55), Eoin Doyle (56), Chris Forrester (90).

Sent off: None.

Referee:Paul McLaughlin

Attendance: 3487

extratime.com Player of the Match: Connor Malley