Preview: Dundalk vs Monaghan United
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League leaders Dundalk can extend their advantage at the top of the eircom League of Ireland First Division table to five points, if they defeat local rivals Monaghan United at Oriel Park on Thursday night (kick-off 7.45pm). After suffering two straight losses following the two-week June break, the Louth club have bounced back and strung together a three-match unbeaten run to reignite their title challenge.
Back-to-back wins over Athlone Town and Kildare County and a draw at second-placed Shelbourne last Friday evening have seen Dundalk reclaim their place at the summit. Another valuable victory here would shoot them five clear before the other trio of promotion challengers play over the weekend, and, that is exactly the target for local left-back David Crawley and his team-mates.
However, despite six wins from six encounters with Monaghan at the border venue during John Gill’s reign, Crawley is well aware of the threat that the Ulster club has posed to Dundalk in the past. “We know that this match is going to be tough,” Crawley wrote in a piece for Thursday evening’s DFC Matchday Magazine.
“It’s a derby. They’ve picked up a lot of points on the way in the league, and they won away to UCD in the FAI Cup. No matter what kind of team Monaghan have coming to Oriel Park, it’s always tough. But if we start well and get at teams, and not let ourselves be put on the back foot, we’ll be okay.
“Getting an early goal is important. A lot of teams coming here now are just sitting back and are happy enough to get a point. We have to go out with a positive frame of mind, overcome that, and, hopefully, get three points. A win here would open up a lead of five points going into the weekend to put all the pressure on the other teams, and that’s what we’ll be aiming for.”
Fixture Fact: Monaghan have not taken a single point away from Oriel Park in almost three years. The last time they avoided defeat at the venue was on 15 September 2005, when the Lilywhites escaped with a 2-2 draw thanks to a last minute goal from David Bracken.
Team News: Dundalk have no suspensions to contend with, however, injuries will deprive the Lilywhites of their captain Aidan Lynch (calf) and striker Robbie Martin (hamstring). Monaghan, meanwhile, will be without Darren Meenan, who must serve a one-match ban as a result of accumulating four yellow cards.
