Dundalk 2 - 1 Monaghan United
Credit:
Dundalk ran out winners of this tightly contested pre season friendly
as Lilywhite goals from Dean Bennett and Jason Byrne saw them first
cancel out and overtake the visitors opener from Shane Fitzgerald.
The Magic Mons opened the scoring in the fifth minute with their first worthwhile attack. Young Dundalk left back Nathan Murphy dwelt on a ball in the Dundalk box near the goal line and had it robbed from him by visiting striker Declan O’Brien he waited for support and Shane Fitzgerald had stopped his run into the box to find space about eight yards from goal. He coolly slotted the pass past Peter Cherrie to mean that Dundalk have yet to keep a clean sheet in their pre season games.
Dundalk were soon on level terms and Paul Whelan will rue wrestling Ross Gaynor to the ground in the outside left channel, which resulted in a free to the home team. Daniel Kearns swung the ball into the 6 yard box where Bennett had timed his run to perfection to head home unopposed.
The first half settled down and the Monaghan five man midfield were making it difficult for Dundalk to get their quick inter passing game going. A worry for Dundalk ahead of their trip to Linfield was the sight of Eoghan Osborne limping from the fray with a tight hamstring after just 21 minutes. His replacement was Michael Hector the equally young loan signing from Reading who went on to have a good game and although will be unavailable for the Linfield game will be aiming to nail down one of the centre half slots in the team for the coming season.
On 29 minutes Mark Quigley showed his shooting prowess when he struck Gabriel Savas right hand post with a 25 yard free. Mons were giving as good as they were getting and Sean Brennan was showing up especially well in the middle of the park. They nearly snatched the lead back when a right wing cross eventually got all the way across the box and fell to the feet of Fitzgerald eight yards from goal and with time to weigh his options. He struck his shot well but Peter Cherrie got down smartly at his near post to turn the ball for a corner.
As is the way of friendly games the half time break saw substitutions made and they seemed to suit Monaghan better as they generally saw a lot of the ball in the opening 20 minutes of the second period. Half time sub Daragh McNamara shot powerfully but straight at Cherrie during this period.
As well as they were playing they couldn’t stop the predatory instincts of Jason Byrne coming to the fore on 67 minutes. Ross Gaynor slipped the ball inside to the impressive Keith Ward he drew the Mons defence and slipped Byrne in behind them to face the replacement netminder Aaron Shanahan. Byrne duly did what he has been doing for seemingly eons and slipped the ball home with the minimum of fuss.
Dundalk saw out the game, in the last quarter, with maybe their earlier return to training than their opponents showing as Mons seemed to run out of steam. Dundalk repeatedly found space down their left and with better final balls could have sewn the match up. With the number of substitutions by both teams coming at dizzying speed ref Rogers blew up and left us to ponder on the future for the league as we digested the news that Sporting Fingal had bitten the dust.
Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Simon Madden, Dean Bennett, Eoghan Osborne (Michael Hector 21), Nathan Murphy; Daniel Kearns (Stephen Maher 75), Keith Ward, Stephen McDonnell (Greg Bolger 46), Ross Gaynor; Mark Quigley (Johnny Breen 75), Jason Byrne (Mark Griffin 80).
Subs not used: Paul Murphy,
Monaghan United: Gabriel Sava (Aaron Shanahan 46); Paul Whelan, Dave Rogers, Conor McMahon (John Reilly 46), Shane Grimes; Eric Foley, Sean Brennan (Shane Barrett 61), Ryan Brennan, Alan Byrne, Shane Fitzgerald (Andy Haran 61); Declan O’Brien (Daragh McNamara 46).
Subs not used: None
extratime.ie Man of the Match: Keith Ward.
Referee: Rob Rogers
Attendance: 200 (estimate).
The Magic Mons opened the scoring in the fifth minute with their first worthwhile attack. Young Dundalk left back Nathan Murphy dwelt on a ball in the Dundalk box near the goal line and had it robbed from him by visiting striker Declan O’Brien he waited for support and Shane Fitzgerald had stopped his run into the box to find space about eight yards from goal. He coolly slotted the pass past Peter Cherrie to mean that Dundalk have yet to keep a clean sheet in their pre season games.
Dundalk were soon on level terms and Paul Whelan will rue wrestling Ross Gaynor to the ground in the outside left channel, which resulted in a free to the home team. Daniel Kearns swung the ball into the 6 yard box where Bennett had timed his run to perfection to head home unopposed.
The first half settled down and the Monaghan five man midfield were making it difficult for Dundalk to get their quick inter passing game going. A worry for Dundalk ahead of their trip to Linfield was the sight of Eoghan Osborne limping from the fray with a tight hamstring after just 21 minutes. His replacement was Michael Hector the equally young loan signing from Reading who went on to have a good game and although will be unavailable for the Linfield game will be aiming to nail down one of the centre half slots in the team for the coming season.
On 29 minutes Mark Quigley showed his shooting prowess when he struck Gabriel Savas right hand post with a 25 yard free. Mons were giving as good as they were getting and Sean Brennan was showing up especially well in the middle of the park. They nearly snatched the lead back when a right wing cross eventually got all the way across the box and fell to the feet of Fitzgerald eight yards from goal and with time to weigh his options. He struck his shot well but Peter Cherrie got down smartly at his near post to turn the ball for a corner.
As is the way of friendly games the half time break saw substitutions made and they seemed to suit Monaghan better as they generally saw a lot of the ball in the opening 20 minutes of the second period. Half time sub Daragh McNamara shot powerfully but straight at Cherrie during this period.
As well as they were playing they couldn’t stop the predatory instincts of Jason Byrne coming to the fore on 67 minutes. Ross Gaynor slipped the ball inside to the impressive Keith Ward he drew the Mons defence and slipped Byrne in behind them to face the replacement netminder Aaron Shanahan. Byrne duly did what he has been doing for seemingly eons and slipped the ball home with the minimum of fuss.
Dundalk saw out the game, in the last quarter, with maybe their earlier return to training than their opponents showing as Mons seemed to run out of steam. Dundalk repeatedly found space down their left and with better final balls could have sewn the match up. With the number of substitutions by both teams coming at dizzying speed ref Rogers blew up and left us to ponder on the future for the league as we digested the news that Sporting Fingal had bitten the dust.
Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Simon Madden, Dean Bennett, Eoghan Osborne (Michael Hector 21), Nathan Murphy; Daniel Kearns (Stephen Maher 75), Keith Ward, Stephen McDonnell (Greg Bolger 46), Ross Gaynor; Mark Quigley (Johnny Breen 75), Jason Byrne (Mark Griffin 80).
Subs not used: Paul Murphy,
Monaghan United: Gabriel Sava (Aaron Shanahan 46); Paul Whelan, Dave Rogers, Conor McMahon (John Reilly 46), Shane Grimes; Eric Foley, Sean Brennan (Shane Barrett 61), Ryan Brennan, Alan Byrne, Shane Fitzgerald (Andy Haran 61); Declan O’Brien (Daragh McNamara 46).
Subs not used: None
extratime.ie Man of the Match: Keith Ward.
Referee: Rob Rogers
Attendance: 200 (estimate).
