Ward looking forward to Galway clash
Credit:
Dundalk FC central midfielder Keith Ward is hoping to find his goal touch against a side he has fond memories of as bottom-of-the-table Galway United make the trip to Oriel Park on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm). Since switching from UCD to Dundalk over the winter, Ward’s only strike in 26 appearances this season came with a superb 25-yard free-kick in the League Cup second round tie at Monaghan United in late April.
But the sight of Galway has whetted the appetite of the 20-year-old, who scored a memorable hat-trick for UCD at Terryland Park last October, which as good as preserved the Students’ Premier Division status. “Scoring a hat-trick against them last year was great,” Keith told dundalkfc.com when recalling that night where he scored early on, before adding two more in the second half. “It was actually a very important game because it was between us and Galway for that spot in the relegation playoffs. We went there and it was just one of those days for me when everything went right. I’m a due a goal anyway, so hopefully it comes on Friday night against Galway.” The Tribesmen have gone on a 14-game losing streak, a run Ward is amazed by. “It’s crazy,” he said. “I don’t know how that is. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“But, to be fair, they’ll always try to come out and play; they’re not one to sit off,” he added. “They’ve got a few players that can cause a bit of trouble, but I think if we play the way we did against Pat’s and Rovers that we should have enough to win.” Dundalk have played the top two teams in their last two outings, where they put in two of their best displays of the season against Saint Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers. And Ward is hoping they can keep up that level of performance when they entertain Galway. “I don’t think there should be (a problem with playing the same against the bottom team),” he said. “If we play like that, we should beat them. If we keep playing the way we are, we should be going out and beating teams, whether it’s Shamrock Rovers or Galway. The Gaffer demands those performances from us, so that’s the way we should be playing.
“It’s a huge game, especially having gone four games without a win,” he added. “If we can get a win and then beat Bray, that would probably push us right back up there. It’s a very important game. We can’t go out there being complacent; we have to be on it from the start.” Dundalk go into the game on the back of Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Shamrock Rovers, where late goals from Chris Turner and Billy Dennehy rescued a point for the league leaders, after Mark Griffin had given the visitors a 2-0 lead at Tallaght Stadium. “I thought it was a great performance,” Wardy said. “I think we played well against St. Pat’s as well but our performance on Tuesday night was brilliant. It was just a pity that we conceded a late goal because I think we deserved to win on our performance. I think Hawks (Colin Hawkins) and Beno (Dean Bennett) were brilliant on the night and were dealing with everything that was put to us.
“Once we went 2-0 up, they went for it and started lumping balls into the box and I thought we dealt with all of it,” he continued. “Their first goal was unlucky for us; Pete (Cherrie) came out and punched it and unfortunately it had to fall to one of their players and he shanked it in, really. I thought we were comfortable up until that,but I think towards the end of the game we were dropping deeper and deeper. I thought we had done enough in the end but a lucky one just fell to Dennehy and he got a header in. I thought we were dealing with everything but it was just unlucky in the end.” And Ward admitted that the mood in the dressing room was a sombre one at the final whistle.
“We were all so disappointed,” he said, “because we had been on a run of three defeats, and we played so well, especially going to the champions and playing so well and coming so close. We were all devastated. You could see how much it meant to some of the players, because we gave everything, and especially to lose a goal in the last minute – it’s not a nice feeling.” After losing 1-0 at Sligo Rovers on 30 May, Dundalk defeated Galway 4-1 in the FAI Ford Cup, before losing to Drogheda United following a below-par performance. Another defeat followed three days later, on 13 June, at home to Saint Patrick’s Athletic, but it was a display which deserved a win, just like against Rovers.
“We got what we deserved against Drogheda,” Keith acknowledged. “We tried to go out and rectify it against St. Pat’s, and in the first half we were excellent, but unfortunately we didn’t get anything out of it. We have been playing well and if we keep playing like that, we’ll definitely climb the table – it’s only a matter of time.” Dundalk have been down to the bare bones in recent weeks and Ward says it has been tough to keep going. “It is hard,” he said. “Towards the end of the games you’re getting tired, especially for some of the lads carrying injuries. For me, it’s not too hard because I haven’t been carrying any injuries, touch wood. But with the likes of some of the defenders carrying injuries, I’m sure it’s harder for them than me. But it’s a good sign that a few of the lads are coming back and hopefully it will help those players that need that little break.”
But the sight of Galway has whetted the appetite of the 20-year-old, who scored a memorable hat-trick for UCD at Terryland Park last October, which as good as preserved the Students’ Premier Division status. “Scoring a hat-trick against them last year was great,” Keith told dundalkfc.com when recalling that night where he scored early on, before adding two more in the second half. “It was actually a very important game because it was between us and Galway for that spot in the relegation playoffs. We went there and it was just one of those days for me when everything went right. I’m a due a goal anyway, so hopefully it comes on Friday night against Galway.” The Tribesmen have gone on a 14-game losing streak, a run Ward is amazed by. “It’s crazy,” he said. “I don’t know how that is. I’ve never seen anything like it.
“But, to be fair, they’ll always try to come out and play; they’re not one to sit off,” he added. “They’ve got a few players that can cause a bit of trouble, but I think if we play the way we did against Pat’s and Rovers that we should have enough to win.” Dundalk have played the top two teams in their last two outings, where they put in two of their best displays of the season against Saint Patrick’s Athletic and Shamrock Rovers. And Ward is hoping they can keep up that level of performance when they entertain Galway. “I don’t think there should be (a problem with playing the same against the bottom team),” he said. “If we play like that, we should beat them. If we keep playing the way we are, we should be going out and beating teams, whether it’s Shamrock Rovers or Galway. The Gaffer demands those performances from us, so that’s the way we should be playing.
“It’s a huge game, especially having gone four games without a win,” he added. “If we can get a win and then beat Bray, that would probably push us right back up there. It’s a very important game. We can’t go out there being complacent; we have to be on it from the start.” Dundalk go into the game on the back of Tuesday’s 2-2 draw with Shamrock Rovers, where late goals from Chris Turner and Billy Dennehy rescued a point for the league leaders, after Mark Griffin had given the visitors a 2-0 lead at Tallaght Stadium. “I thought it was a great performance,” Wardy said. “I think we played well against St. Pat’s as well but our performance on Tuesday night was brilliant. It was just a pity that we conceded a late goal because I think we deserved to win on our performance. I think Hawks (Colin Hawkins) and Beno (Dean Bennett) were brilliant on the night and were dealing with everything that was put to us.
“Once we went 2-0 up, they went for it and started lumping balls into the box and I thought we dealt with all of it,” he continued. “Their first goal was unlucky for us; Pete (Cherrie) came out and punched it and unfortunately it had to fall to one of their players and he shanked it in, really. I thought we were comfortable up until that,but I think towards the end of the game we were dropping deeper and deeper. I thought we had done enough in the end but a lucky one just fell to Dennehy and he got a header in. I thought we were dealing with everything but it was just unlucky in the end.” And Ward admitted that the mood in the dressing room was a sombre one at the final whistle.
“We were all so disappointed,” he said, “because we had been on a run of three defeats, and we played so well, especially going to the champions and playing so well and coming so close. We were all devastated. You could see how much it meant to some of the players, because we gave everything, and especially to lose a goal in the last minute – it’s not a nice feeling.” After losing 1-0 at Sligo Rovers on 30 May, Dundalk defeated Galway 4-1 in the FAI Ford Cup, before losing to Drogheda United following a below-par performance. Another defeat followed three days later, on 13 June, at home to Saint Patrick’s Athletic, but it was a display which deserved a win, just like against Rovers.
“We got what we deserved against Drogheda,” Keith acknowledged. “We tried to go out and rectify it against St. Pat’s, and in the first half we were excellent, but unfortunately we didn’t get anything out of it. We have been playing well and if we keep playing like that, we’ll definitely climb the table – it’s only a matter of time.” Dundalk have been down to the bare bones in recent weeks and Ward says it has been tough to keep going. “It is hard,” he said. “Towards the end of the games you’re getting tired, especially for some of the lads carrying injuries. For me, it’s not too hard because I haven’t been carrying any injuries, touch wood. But with the likes of some of the defenders carrying injuries, I’m sure it’s harder for them than me. But it’s a good sign that a few of the lads are coming back and hopefully it will help those players that need that little break.”
