Defeat‘hardtotake’admitsKennyasDundalk’sEurodreamends
FRUSTRATED Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny said elimination from Europe was ‘hard to take’ after a painful defeat in Norway, WRITES DANIEL MCDONNELL.
The League of Ireland champions went out after a 2-1 extra-time loss to Rosenborg with the visiting boss admitting the hosts were the better side on the night at the Lerkendal Stadium.
But he felt his side were unlucky across two legs where they took the lead and then gave it away just before half-time in both matches.
David McMillan and Ciarán Kilduff were also denied a second away goal in Trondheim from clear-cut chances – if they had gone in Dundalk would have been preparing for a date with Celtic next week.
Instead, they are out of Europe and must return to a grim enough domestic situation with Cork streaking clear to title success.
Kenny is disappointed they will not get more chances to play on bigger stages for the rest of the season.
“We’ve gone out on the margins here and it’s very hard to take,” he said.
“Rosenborg are a very good team, but over the two legs we were unfortunate to go out. We were the better team last week and we weren’t here. To go through wouldn’t have flattered us. The goals we conceded before half-time in both games killed us.
“It’s tough for us to come to a club like Rosenborg, 20,000 (at their games) every week. There is nothing between the teams and yet we are playing in bloody Oriel Park, very limited facilities, and we are coming to grounds like this.
“The players deserve to be playing on stages like this. It’s disappointing.”
OVER and out. There will be no European odyssey for Dundalk this year.
It took 210 minutes to split Stephen Kenny’s charges and Rosenborg and in the end, the stronger side prevailed.
But it was painfully close, and that was clear from the expression on the face of the Dundalk manager as he prepared to get the bus back to the airport.
Outside the front door of the Lerkendal Stadium, local kids cheered as relieved Rosenborg players emerged to sign a few autographs.
They now have the excitement of two legs with Celtic ahead.
Dundalk have to return home and focus on a league that already looks to be over with Cork out of sight.
RESOURCES
After again seeing how the other half live in terms of resources and then pushing them all the way, this was a punch in the stomach for the visiting camp – especially with so many ifs, buts and maybes across the two legs. David McMillan and Ciaran Kilduff were inches away from a second away goal that would have put the Louth club through.
“The players deserve to be playing on stages like this,” sighed Kenny, who made a reference to “bloody” Oriel Park and the limited facilities his group work with on a daily basis.
His employers have a job to improve them with the finances accrued from last year’s memorable exploits, although regrets from that journey were referenced by Kenny too. Another point would have put them on the same side of the draw as Rosenborg.
“We played 12 games last year, we did so well, and the team we beat first [FH] are seeded and we’re not. We get Rosenborg and we are out now. That’s the ruthless nature of it and there is nothing we can do about it,” he said.
“To go through wouldn’t have flattered us. We were the better side last week and we weren’t here. We had chances. Those are the fine margins.”
Ultimately, Rosenborg were clinical when it mattered, going in level at the break in both legs when the tale of the first halves didn’t appear to be headed that way.
Kare Ingebrigtsen’s men were confident in the preliminaries but they were given a hell of a fright.
Kenny sets the bar higher than that, though, and this is a particularly devastating blow for the Dubliner given a return to this competition next year is extremely unlikely.
“It is going to be difficult,” said Kenny. “We are used to dominating in the league. That’s the reality, we have two cups still to compete for and we still have to finish the league strongly.”
In reality, though, they needed this result to give the rest of their season a real focus. At this round, there is no parachute to the Europa League.
It really was win or bust and Dundalk started with the determination you would expect in that scenario.
Rosenborg said on Tuesday they would take charge of the game in the opening 20 minutes as a contrast from Oriel Park but they were slow out of the blocks again. Dundalk forced five corners and made one pay when Brian Gartland steered home Michael Duffy’s delivery.
They might have scored another when the unmarked McMillan was denied by a brilliant Andre Hansen save. Rosenborg were rattled, but this was a turning point.
The parallels from the first leg would continue, however, and that was bad news for the away side. Rosenborg lifted things before the interval; Nicklas Bendtner’s flick found the clever captain Mike Jensen who made a trademark run from deep and then executed a perfectly-weighted pass for first-leg sub Yann-Erik De Lanlay who outpaced Seán Gannon and poked the ball past Gary Rogers.
“Psychologically, the game shifted,” said Kenny. “They were struggling for a rhythm but that gave them the impetus to attack us.”
From the restart, a galvanised Rosenborg went up a gear, keeping possession well and causing problems as Dundalk began to foul and give the ball away.
Niclas Vemmelund, who proved himself fit enough to play, was excellent but he was busy.
“They came out flying,” said Kenny, “They were better in the second-half but we hung in.”
With Dundalk struggling in the centre, Kenny introduced Stephen
O’Donnell for the booked Duffy and sent Robbie Benson out wide.
O’Donnell sought to get on the ball and stem the tide and he did his job well, although one foul led to a free that was fluffed by Tore Reginiussen with Dundalk switching off. That was a major escape.
In truth, it was the only one between then and full-time with Dundalk shoring things up and even creating a chance of their own when McEleney was fouled and a free-kick routine led to a Benson shot forcing a smart stop from Hansen.
The real blow for Dundalk was the loss of McEleney due to the effects of a groin problem and Jamie McGrath was introduced in his place, an enforced change that Kenny could have done without making with a view to the extra 30 minutes that were imminent.
Kenny made his final switch early in extra-time with McMillan replaced by Kilduff to give Dundalk a fresh outlet. Yet it was a Rosenborg replacement that would make the defining impact. Matthias Vilhjalmsson rose above Gartland to head a cross from Vegar Hedenstad beyond Rogers.
Black shirts were battered and bruised – Benson was wearing a head bandage for extra-time – and they emptied the reserves of energy in search of what would have been the winner. McEleney’s invention was missed. “It’s hard to talk, it’s so disappointing,” said the playmaker afterwards.
The big chance fell to Kilduff before the end of the first period and, the unmarked 2016 hero was slightly off balance from eight yards with an attempt that was tipped onto the bar.
Dundalk wouldn’t get any closer. ROSENBORG – Hansen; Hedenstad, Reginiussen, Skjelvik, Meling; Jensen, Konradsen, Midtsjo; Jevtovic (Rashani 105), Bendtner (Lundemo 114), De Lanlay (Vilhjalmsson 73). DUNDALK – Rogers; Gannon, Gartland, Vemmelund, Massey; Shields, Benson; Mountney, McEleney (McGrath 84), Duffy (O’Donnell 59); McMillan (Kilduff 93). REF – A Aghayev (Azerbaijan).