Ireland duo lift the Cup final gloom at Oriel Park

SOCCER

THE gloom over Dundalk’s FAI Cup final defeat to Cork City at the weekend was lifted slightly on Monday evening when the FAI confirmed that Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle were both included in the Republic of Ireland squad for Saturday’s World Cup qualifier against Austria in Vienna (kick-off 5pm).

The two players linked up with the squad that night before taking part in their first training session at Abbotstown today (Tuesday).

Both are aiming to become the first League of Ireland player capped in a competitive international in over three decades. The last time it occurred was before either of them were even born almost exactly 31 years ago on November 13th 1985 when Shamrock Rovers’ Pat Byrne featured for Ireland in a 4-1 defeat to Denmark at Lansdowne Road.

Speaking to The Argus about their call-up to Martin O’Neill’s 28 man squad on Tuesday morning, Dundalk boss Stephen Kenny said the honour was well deserved.

‘It’s great for Daryl and Andy,’ he said.

‘Andy was one of the first signings I made when I came to the club and it’s fantastic to see his progress four years on.

‘He is someone who has really excelled under the radar but I’ve always known his value to the team and I’m sure every Dundalk supporter does too.

‘Daryl has been getting better every year and his personality has evovled to the point where he is a young leader of the team.’

Kenny insisted that the callups were a reflection of the great progress Dundalk had made this season.

‘This season has been all about defining new boundaries. We’re now at a point where we’ve won three league titles in-a-row, reached the Europa League group stages and got lads into the Irish setup.

‘That is really unheard of and it’s incredible for them to get a call up for such a big game because this is not a friendly, it’s a World Cup qualifier.’

Asked whether they could now follow in the footsteps of former players he has managed such as James McClean and Stephen Ward to go on and play international football, Kenny said: ‘There’s no doubt about it.’

For his own side it’s back to basics on Wednesday and Friday as they return to training in the buildup to the Europa League game against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday November 24th

Kenny said it would be a ‘lighter week’ due to the high volume of games his side had played of late but insisted he would look to arrange a friendly for next week to keep the players ticking over.

Dundalk do have a number of injury concerns in the wake of the Cup Final and last week’s trip to Russia. While there are several ‘wear and tear’ problems, Kenny admitted he is ‘not quite sure’ of captain Stephen O’Donnell’s injury situation.

His main concern is full back Dane Massey, who faces a race against time to be fit for the clash with AZ at Tallaght Stadium after suffering a grade one calf tear in Sunday’s match at the Aviva Stadium.

That injury is particularly concerning given back-up left-back Shane Grimes has been ruled out for the rest of the season having torn his hamstring off the bone in the defeat to St Patrick’s Athletic in Inchicore last month. The Muirhevnamor man is due to have an operation on Thursday but initial concerns over his future in the game have been played down.

With the domestic season now over, Kenny said he hoped to tie key members of his side down to new contracts over the coming weeks with only Chris Shields, Pat- rick McEleney and Brian Gartland so far signed up for 2017.

‘Ideally we would have had that sorted last summer but it wasn’t possible with qualifying for the Europa League. We had to suspend talks then in the title run-in because it can get very awkward.

‘Over the next few weeks though I hope to work on that.

‘It will be a case of wait and see with the likes of Daryl and Andy though.’

The manager also hinted that there could be a few new arrivals, as well as some departures.

‘Every year we have added a couple and I think it’s good to do that as it adds to what you have and brings added freshness to things.

‘There is always a situation where one or two might not have played as much as they wanted to and might look to move on as well so we’ll have to wait and see on that.’

Meanwhile, speaking on Sunday Kenny admitted his disappointment at losing the FAI Cup final to Sean Maguire’s 121st minute goal.

‘We’re disappointed to lose it. I thought the players were magnificent. After a gruelling game in Russia on Thursday, we were very unfortunate to lose overall but that’s the way it goes.

‘The players couldn’t have given me more. They were running really on empty. We only got back on Friday from St Petersburg and went again for 120 minutes.

‘We were in control of extra-time and had a couple of great chances and it looked like we were going to score. Ronan Finn’s, I thought that went in. I couldn’t believe it didn’t go in in the end and then to concede right at the death is a cruel way to lose but that’s the way it goes. You have to accept your defeat.

‘It was a deflected effort but we have to congratulate Cork and accept it/

‘We are league champions and that was our main objective this year. To win three in-a-row is unprecedented for Dundalk and to qualify for the group stages of the Europa League is something we really strived to do. The FAI Cup was then the next objective. We wanted to win it but sometimes in life you can’t do everything,’ he said.

It’s incredible for them to get a call-up for such a big game because this is not a friendly, it’s a World Cup qualifier.