- Ciaran Fisher
- Sun, Nov 07 2021
Ciaran Fisher reports from Oriel Park
Dundalk notched another home victory in the Premier Division against visitors Longford Town on Sunday night with a 2-0 win.
Goals from Patrick Hoban and Sean Murray puts some daylight between Dundalk and the relegation play off and may even put an unlikely late push for a European place on the cards in the final two games.
Longford arrived at Oriel Park having been relegated some time ago. They could have been forgiven for not caring a great deal about this one, but they were dogged, determined and disciplined throughout. Dundalk started much the brighter and set a quick tempo early on but they didn’t break down their visitors enough to manifest many clear cut chances.
Greg Sloggett was forced off through injury just twelve minutes in. Perhaps it was that substitution that proved the catalyst for a lull in the game as Dundalk eased off and Longford were able to take the game to the home side.
Gerard Manley almost broke the deadlock after twenty minutes when he was played through on the box and jinked in, before a timely clearance stopped him getting a shot away.
Moments like these provoked Dundalk to action and the Lilywhites did regroup and come at Longford as the half time whistle approached. Michael Duffy almost scored on the cusp of the whistle when he cut in and drove one at Lee Steacy in goals. But the netminder made a fine save to maintain parity, he would be needed again.
The sense of urgency from Dundalk continued into the start of the second half and Patrick Hoban helped the ball into the net hardly a minute from the restart. Good play from Will Patching found Micheal Duffy in space, his cross was nodded on by Hoban and into the net.
Steacy needed to go full stretch to make a finger tipped save from Duffy in the next wave of Dundalk attacks. And in a dizzying spell, with the home side starting to open up the visitors at will, it seemed only a matter of time before a second goal came.
It arrived before the hour mark, through Sean Murray, clever passing freed him barreling down on the box and his shot pinged past the ‘keeper before being helped in by the post.
Longford weathered the storm, and it was a credit to them, and their goalkeeper, in particular, that the score stayed 2-0.
Longford had a late chance at halving Dundalk’s lead when a free kick from Aaron Robinson rattled the crossbar in the 90th minute. In truth that goal would have flattered to deceive, but it’s an apt demonstration of De Town’s never say die attitude. They refused to become whipping boys in what has undoubtably been a difficult season for them since promotion last year. Their results tell the tale of very small margins culminating in relegation.
Dundalk can relate to that, their first half of the season was amongst the worst in living memory. This with the largest budget of any team in the league. Of late, they have shown a bit more cohesion and performances that would have likely had them further up the table. They can turn it on, there were patches of bullish play that outclasses Longford.
Remarkably, after so much talk of a Lilywhite relegation battle, there is an outside chance that they could move further up the table and nip one of the remaining European spots. But results elsewhere would have to go their way. It would be a very welcome tonic after a year to forget.
Dundalk: Peter Cherrie; Cameron Dummigan, Daniel Cleary, Andy Boyle (c), Darragh Leahy; Michael Duffy, Daniel Kelly (David McMillan 58), Sean Murray (Sami Ben Amar 72), Will Patching, Greg Sloggett (Sam Stanton 12); Patrick Hoban.
Subs not used: Alessio Abibi, Sonni Nattestad, Mayowa Animasahun, Ryan O'Kane, Han Jeongwoo, Mark Hanratty.
Booked: None.
Longford Town: Lee Steacy (c); Aaron O'Driscoll, Patrick Kirk, Shane Elworthy; Aaron Robinson, Darragh Nugent (Sam Barnes 82), Michael McDonnell, Dylan Grimes (Karl Chambers 63), Aodh Dervin; Dean Williams (Matthew O'Brien 82), Rob Manley.
Subs not used: Michael Kelly, Aaron McNally, Joseph Manley, Dean Zambra, Ben Lynch, Dean Byrne, Conor Davis.
Booked: None.
Referee: Adriano Reale.
Referee: 2000 (estimate).
extratime.com Player of the Match: Sean Murray (Dundalk).
