Final seemed like it was a game too far for players tired legs and minds
DUNDALK supporters walked away from the Aviva Stadium on Sunday evening, disappointed but not downhearted and incredibly proud of the Lilywhites.
The common theme of conversations on the way home was that it was a game too far for Stephen Kenny’s side and that the fixture congestion of the past few weeks finally caught up on the players and just as much as their hearts wanted it, physically and mentally the players were just unable to reach their best.
They had Cork on the ropes for long periods of the game but could not land the killer blow and in fairness Cork defended well and counter punched with good effect and Dundalk survived a number of good chances from John Caulfield’s side.
For Dundalk, the players, supporters, it has been a wonderful season, but the dream of a double-double vanished in the dying seconds of extra time.
That is a painful sting to what has been a wonderful season and supporters, the players and manager can only wonder at what might have been had the FAI given Dundalk some relief from their crazy schedule in recent weeks.
To win a back-to-back league and cup double would have been astonishing and something that would have stood out in the annals of Irish soccer history forever more. It didn’t happen and as much as it was Sean Maguire who denied Dundalk on the pitch with the winning goal, you can’t escape the feeling that the administrators of the game handicapped Dundalk by their refusal to re-schedule even one fixture over the last three weeks.
Thankfully the players produced a stunning display in the crunch league tie with Cork City in Oriel Park which effectively sealed a third consecutive league title or otherwise the club could have finished the season empty handed.
Dundalk’s domestic displays over the last four seasons have been praised by followers of the game, but their perfor- mances and results in European football have brought Irish soccer to a whole new audience both at home and abroad.
While the FAI have assisted Dundalk in staging the Legia Warsaw game in the Aviva and in other logistical and administrative elements of staging Europa League matches in Tallaght Stadium, they have fallen short in supporting Dundalk players and their manager in their on the field efforts.
a great shot in the arm through Dundalk’s success in recent months and in Dundalk and Cork City they have two teams who have built up a great rivalry which is a marketing dream and two teams who are capable of having further success and prolonged campaigns in European football next summer.
It’s now over to the FAI.