Huge crowd at Oriel for visit of ‘Pool stars

August 1996

A near capacity Oriel Park crowd watches Dundalk take on a strong Liverpool team in a pre-season friendly.

Steve McManaman scores the only goal of the game three minutes from time.

Visiting manager Roy Evans opts not to play goalkeeper, David James and striker, Stan Collymore; otherwise he has plenty of big names on show, such as Jason McAteer, Jamie Carragher, Robbie Fowler and John Barnes.

Afterwards, Dundalk player-manager John Hewitt expresses his satisfaction with the Lilywhites’ performance; though he is not happy with the local referee, Denis McArdle for allowing the goal to stand.

He is of the opinion there was a foul by Liverpool in the build-up to McManaman’s score.

Among the Dundalk players to show up well are Tom McNulty and David Crawley at the back, as well as player-manager Hewitt and Brian Byrne.

They manage to contain Liverpool to the extent that the visitors’ first shot on target, by McManamam, does not arrive until the 37th minute.

Indeed, the Reds’ overall display is criticised by national media, whereas Dundalk are credited with a spirited effort.

The match, played in glorious sunny conditions, attracts an estimated crowd of 8,000, including some 3,000 children, which provides a timely boost to club coffers, after a fall-off in ‘gate’ receipts during the second half of the previous season.

Dundalk: Fridge, McNulty (Murphy), Napier, Doohan, Crawley, Doherty (Nisbett), Roche (Patterson), Browne, Hewitt (Rickard), Byrne, Withnell (Gallen).

Liverpool: Warner, Babb, Bjornbye, McAteer, Wright (Carragher), Matteo, Thomas, Jones, Fowler, Barnes, McManaman.