Record shut-out for in-form Dundalk as Bohs take battering
DUNDALK have broken plenty of attacking records during Stephen Kenny’s time at Oriel Park but they recorded a place in the history books for their defensive work following a 3-0 win over Bohemians at Oriel Park.
The shut-out here was their eighth on the trot since the 2018 campaign started, a new League of Ireland record, and after something of a sluggish start, Kenny’s side are really motoring now.
This was their fourth win in five matches and they are just one point behind old foes Cork City.
The only blemish on an otherwise decent night was an injury to Gary Rogers. The Meathman was looking to equal Alan O’Neill’s club record of eight consecutive clean sheets – set back in 1991 – but a calf injury meant he was replaced by Gabriel Sava after just nine minutes.
Dundalk looked unperturbed and after taking a grip of things, they made the breakthrough on 24 minutes. A quick bout of passing ended with Hungarian midfielder Krisztian Adorjan, making his first League of Ireland start, unceremoniously bundled over by Dan Casey in the box and Patrick Hoban made no mistake, deceiving Shane Supple from the penalty spot.
Dundalk took real charge after that, and goal number two arrived seven minutes later. Jamie McGrath’s sensational pass sent full-back Sean Gannon through on the home stretch and he placed the ball past the advancing Supple.
Bohs offered little going forward and Michael Duffy was denied what would have been a magnificent third before the interval. Breaking from a Bohemians corner, the 23-year-old left two defenders in his wake before cutting in and letting fly but Supple was equal to the task.
Bohs did hit the woodwork after just 20 seconds of the second half with a long-range Keith Ward effort that looped over Sava only to kiss the top of the crossbar.
That only seemed to stir Dundalk and a sumptuous Adorjan pass almost set Duffy away on the left in the 53rd minute but Supple was there to collect when the winger took a heavy touch.
The big goalkeeper then had to throw himself to his right to stop the former Liverpool man’s drive around the post five minutes later.
Bohs hung in and had good penalty shouts waved away by referee Graham Kelly, the second of which came with 10 minutes to go when Dane Massey left sub Danny Grant on the f loor but the referee, much to the frustration of Keith Long and the travelling support, didn’t react.
Chris Shields ensured another shut-out when he made a miraculous block to deny Dinny Corcoran in the 89th minute and the night finished on a high for the hosts when Duffy put the icing on the cake in stoppage time, collecting a Gannon pass to fire home a goal that his performance deserved.