Attacking duo major doubts for Bray trip
DUNDALK are likely to be without both Ronan Finn and Patrick McEleney for Wednesday night’s trip to face Bray Wanderers in the Carlisle Grounds (kick-off 8pm).
Both players are struggling with groin injuries sustained in the last week which has also left them doubtful for the first leg of the club’s Champions League play-off tie with Legia Warsaw at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday week.
Finn limped out of last Tuesday’s historic victory over BATE Borisov at Tallaght Stadium with a recurrence of the injury that had kept him from training in the build-up to the game and will definitely miss the trip to Bray.
McEleney then pulled up with a similar problem just before half-time in Friday night’s 1-0 defeat to Galway Utd at Eamon Deacy Park and despite attempting to play on eventually admitted defeat early in the second half.
Asked for an update on the two midfielders on Monday night, Kenny admitted both were struggling at present.
‘They’re struggling for Wednesday. Maybe next week we’ll see,’ he said.
‘Ronan is definitely out and Patrick is struggling for Wednesday.’
The manager would not be drawn on whether or not he will play someone else in the position either of the pair usually occupy or go with two up front for the trip to Wicklow.
Regardless of what team he fields though, he is expecting a tough game against the Seagulls.
‘I thought we played well in Galway considering the quick turnaround we had from Tuesday night and we should have won.
‘There’s no way we deserved to lose that game in Galway but it’s just one of those things. We have to dust ourselves down and get ready for Bray on Wednesday.
‘The attitude of the players is excellent. Obviously we have a few injuries to contend with so hopefully we can get the win.
‘Bray haven’t conceded any goals of late, just the one goal in 10 hours or something. They’ve made a few changes to their back four since we played them last, got a few players in and they’re much more solid.
‘Harry has got them very well organised and they’ll give us a tough game.
‘Hopefully there will be a good Dundalk crowd there really getting behind the team,’ he said.
On Monday night a Dundalk fringe side, of which Ciaran Kilduff and Darren Meenan were the only survivors from the match against Galway, beat an Everton Development XI 3-2 at Oriel Park.
Former Sligo Rovers defender Alan Keane lined out at centre back for the Lilywhites on the night but despite admitting on Friday that he would need time to reflect on whether or not to bring in any free agents, Kenny denied a move to sign Keane was in the offing.
‘There’s nothing really to report there,’ he said.
‘At the moment no,’ he replied when asked if a deal was in the pipeline for the 31-year-old.
‘I just came across him and said do you want to play a match and that was it really. He just played tonight and that was it.
‘We’re not close to anything at the moment,’ said Kenny.
‘If they’re coming in they’ve got to be better than what we have. We’ve got Ciaran O’Connor, Michael O’Connor and George Poynton as well to come in who will be important for us. I feel those three can play their part this season,’ he said.
After appearing on Saturday Night with Miriam on Saturday, Kenny flew to Poland the next day to check out Dundalk’s Champions League play-off opponents Legia Warsaw in their Ekstraklasa match with Piast Gliwice.
While the match at Legia’s Polish Army Stadium finished 0-0, Legia’s third draw in four league games so far, Kenny said it was a worthwhile trip. ‘I learnt a lot,’ he said. ‘It’s a fantastic stadium. It was only built three or four years ago. It’s a 32,000 all-seater but it’s built in a way that it’s like a cauldron where the crowd are right on top of the pitch. It’s straight up and it’ll be electric that night for the second leg.
‘It’s their centenary and it’s the first time in 20 years that they have been in the Champions League. Two years ago they probably should have been in it but against Celtic they played a sub who was suspended and that cost them.
‘They’re ecstatic to get us because they feel they have a great opportunity but from our point of view we’ve a bit of work to do.’
Kenny has no doubts about the quality of a side who have claimed 6-1 aggregate victories over both Celtic and St Patrick’s Athletic in recent seasons.
‘Nikolic their centre forward and the main man who has been getting their goals played for Hungary in the Euros. They have a couple of players who have been in the Polish squad and they’ve signed two French players who are two of their better players and they signed a Belgian international yesterday so they’re formidable opposition,’ he said.
Before travelling to Poland, Dundalk will face Legia in the first-leg at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday week August 17th and Kenny called for a huge turnout to support the Lilywhites.
‘We need the public to get behind us and it would be great to have a big crowd there.’ he said.
‘It’s a big opportunity and the players all want to play in the national stadium and football is about players ultimately. Supporters want to go to the national stadium as well to support their team. This is all positive and stuff that you would only have dreamed about a couple of years ago so it’s great.
‘Everyone from Dundalk is very proud of this team and they should be because they’ve scaled the heights and now this is an epic game next week and we want to make sure that we prepare well and try to get the result that we need,’ he said.