Kilduff eyes double after sealing last four Cup spot
AFTER marking his latest return from injury with the goal that booked Dundalk’s place in the semi-finals of the FAI Cup on Friday night, Ciaran Kilduff immediately set his sights on another league and cup double this season.
With an abundance of back fixtures to play in the league between now and the end of October and the distraction of the Europa League some people might have questioned where the cup lay in terms of priorities for Dundalk.
However, after heading home a 66th winner against his old club UCD at the UCD Bowl on Friday, Kilduff said the cup was ‘huge’ and insisted that Stephen Kenny’s side had a squad capable of competing on all fronts.
‘We know how big a day out it is after last year,’ he said of the cup.
It was unbelievable the support we had last year and then with Richie Towell getting the goal it was one of the biggest day out for family and friends.
It is a great day out and it’s vital we get there again.
‘We want everything. We want the league, we want the cup and we’re not in Europe to make up the numbers either. You seen the value of the squad there tonight and that’s going to be paramount between now and the end of the season,’ he said.
The 27-year-old wasn’t expected back for at least another fortnight having injured his knee prior to the club’s trip to Poland to face Legia Warsaw in the Champions League last month.
However, after also missing a portion of the season with a broken back Kilduff is now hopeful that his injury problems and feels he will be more clinical when he gets more matches under his belt.
‘I’m happy with my night’s work,’ he told The Argus.
‘I needed minutes and I didn’t feel very sharp out there at times. On another night I could have had three or four. I was very wasteful but I got an important one. As the gaffer said, come cup final day if we get there no one is going to remember this game. It’s just a good win and a good personal achievement for me to come back with a goal again and touch wood now that’s the last injury I have to come back from, at least for this season because games are coming thick and fast now and I want to be part of them.
‘Obviously my performance and finishing could be a bit better but there’s a lot of positives. I think that’s only my second or third start in three months between the back injury and the knee injury. I was unlucky with the knee injury and it was a really costly time for me to get it around the European campaign. Dave is obviously firing on all cylinders but he needs a hand too but I’m back now and I want to stay fit.
‘I got 90 minutes in, which is something I didn’t expect even this day last week. If you said then I’d be back and would score a goal I’d have bitten your hand off but I got it tonight and thankfully we’re into the semi-final.’
The crucial goal arrived in the 66th minute when Daryl Horgan picked up the ball on the right before crossing for Kilduff to rise highest to head past a helpless Niall Corbet.
‘I was happy to stick it away,’ said the striekr.
‘As I said, I probably could have had a bag full tonight and if we had come in here at 0-0 and I hadn’t got a goal I’d be a lot more critical of myself but I have to step back and look at it from a neutral point of view, it’s only my first game back. The other things are about fine tuning. When I get a bit of sharpness into me I’ll be fine and thankfully we have got a busy schedule so there should be plenty of opportunity for that,’ said Kilduff.
While critical of his own finishing, the striker was a threat right from the off – forcing a save from Corbet after just 72 minutes before teeing up Michael O’Connor for a shot that was just over on five minutes.
Dundalk then had a let-off on seven minutes when Gary O’Neill’s free kick was almost turned in by Ryan Swan.
A good opening then went abegging at the other end four minutes later when Shane Grimes’ cross found its way right across the box to Michael O’Connor, whose drive across the six yard box was just missed by the inrushing Chris Shields.
Robbie Benson and Kilduff then both went close before Dundalk had another let-off on 20 minutes when Cathal Brady had a shot clip the outside of the post and go wide with Gabriel Sava beaten.
Either side of another good opening for Kilduff, who was played through by Dean Shiels only to see his dink of Corbet go wide, the visitors had three penalty appeals turned down.
Referee Derek Tomney looked to have got it right when he waved away appeals from Kilduff and Paddy Barrett after they went to ground in the box but he certainly got it wrong on 39 minutes when Ciaran O’Connor was clipped in the box by Mark Langtry.
O’Connor would curl a shot wide in the moments after that but never recovered from the knock he took in that penalty incident and would depart with bad bruising to his hip just before half-time.
The pressure continued from Dundalk on the restart with Shields bundling over from a corner before Shiels curled one just over from the edge of the box.
Then came Kilduff’s breakthrough but there was a nervy finish after that as Dundalk failed to add to their lead.
On 70 minutes Greg Sloggett got a rare shot away for UCD which Sava had to get down to save.
Kilduff wasted a chance to seal the game three minutes later when played in by Horgan but he was guilty of taking too long to steady himself and failed to get a shot away in the end.
Barrett then flicked a header wide before Horgan crashed a shot into the side-netting after a scintillating burst up the left.
Kilduff had two more chances late on, blazing over with the goal at his mercy after being teed up by Shields on 87 minutes before having a shot blocked from Georgie Poynton’s pass on the 90 minute mark, with Benson blazing over the rebound.
Grimes had a shot deflect just wide of the bottom right hand post in stoppage time but by that stage the result was assured. Dundalk were marching on to the last four without ever really having to truly move up the gears.