Continuity the Key - Ryan
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Dundalk centre-half Ian Ryan has revealed the simple secret to his side’s defensive success - continuity. The Lilywhites have now had the same back five in five consecutive games, with last Friday’s stalemate away to Sporting Fingal seeing goalkeeper Chris Bennion net his fifth clean-sheet on the bounce. Ryan was key to that record staying intact as he put in a ‘Man of the Match’ performance, and, afterwards, the 21-year-old admitted that a stable backline is the key to Dundalk’s seven-match unbeaten run.
“We’re gelling well together now at the back - it seems to be clicking for us,” Ryan said. “That’s five clean-sheets in a row and we want to continue that. Since the start of the year, the defence has been chopping and changing with injuries and suspensions, but this last while, we have settled and we’re working well together. We had a lot to do, I’m happy enough with my own play, but I think a lot of us did well.
“We dug in and we got a point, and it could be the difference. Coming here, we were looking for the win, but we’ll settle for a point in the end. It was a hard game, it was just a battle. I don’t think either team played much, but the pitch is small and it’s just a scrap. They put us on the back foot but we defended well, we soaked everything up and they never really threatened us too much.”
The draw means that Dundalk can now go five points clear at the top of the First Division table if they win their next league outing, against second-placed Waterford United on 21 August. “It’s a good position to be in,” Ryan acknowledged. “We want to nail down top spot now. We’ve been there a few times this year and we’ve let it slip. We want to really stamp our authority on it now and kick-on. The game with Waterford is a big opportunity, but every game is the same now. It just depends on the day, but we’ll be going out to beat them.”
