Dundalk down, not out
DUNDALK manager Stephen Kenny insists his side remain in a ‘good position’ to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League despite being left cursing their luck for the second time in a fortnight after losing out to Zenit St Petersburg in a snow-covered Petrovsky Stadium last Thursday.
Just as in Tallaght two weeks ago, an error rather than brilliance proved their undoing against the Russians with the woodwork providing the ‘what might have been’ moment in either half.
Kenny’s side had been defensively brilliant for 42 minutes until Brian Gartland was caught in possession by Aleksandr Kerzhakov, who teed up Giuliano for the opener.
The League of Ireland champions dared to dream, however, when Daryl Horgan equalised seven minutes into the second half.
However, a scrappy second from Giuliano on 78 minutes dashed hopes of a point just as he had done in Tallaght, with Kenny admitting it was ‘difficult to take’.
He said: ‘Daryl’s equaliser deserved a result from any game. We got punished from giving the ball away twice, which is not like us, but Patrick McEleney’s effort off the post and bar was very unlucky. That was the margin.’
The one consolation for the Lilywhites was that they remain in contention for a place in the last 32 with two games to go.
‘If we had drawn tonight and Maccabi had won we’d have been on five (points) and they’d have been on six so it’s in our own hands going into the last two games. We’re in a good position,’ said Kenny.
It was a brave resistance for much of the first-half from Dundalk but they could have found themselves ahead with the game’s opening chance on 13 minutes when John Mountney’s cross from the right looped over the head of goalkeeper Mikhail Kerzhakov before coming back off the post.
Zenit began to build-up a head of steam after that with Gary Rogers having to tip a 20 yard strike from Oleg Shatov over five minutes later before Andy Boyle blocked Aleksandr Kerzhakov’s shot with his head on 20 minutes.
There were long range efforts from Horgan and Patrick McEleney midway through the half but by and large the halftime whistle couldn’t come quick enough for the visitors. They rode their luck twice in the space of a minute when firstly Aleksandr Kerzhakov scuffed an Aleksandr Anyukov cross straight at Rogers on 33 minutes before he turned provider for Shatov a minute later, who met his effort more sweetly only to see it turned behind by a block from Dane Massey.
Rogers then came to his side’s rescue on 36 minutes by saving at close range from Giuliano after he had been slipped through by Shatov. There was another nervy moment three minutes later when Gartland was forced to block from Giuliano before Mauricio blazed the rebound over.
Just when it looked like Dundalk had weathered the storm though, they shot themselves in the foot. Gartland’s short free on 42 minutes was played back to him by Chris Shields, with the centre half then caught in possession by Kerzhakov who raced down the left before squaring to Giuliano to slot home.
A mistake at the other end would lead to the equaliser seven minutes after the restart with Domenico Criscito’s poor header from Sean Gannon’s pass allowing Horgan to break from halfway before cutting across two defenders and firing to the net for what was his first European goal.
It rocked the Russians who once again began to pile the pressure on with Rogers brilliant once again to deny Mauricio on 62 minutes before Nicolas Lombaerts pulled Anyukov’s cross wide a minute later. Axel Witsel then went inches away with a long range effort before Kerzhakov missed another good opening.
Once again Dundalk would prove their own worst enemy though as, despite numerous chances, they failed to clear their lines following a game of pinball in their own area, with Giuliano firing home from close range after Kerzhakov’s cross was kept alive by Mauricio after Giuliano had scuffed his initial effort.
To their credit, Dundalk refused to throw in the towel and with eight minutes to go they went inches away from a second equaliser as McEleney’s effort came back off the crossbar, having been set away by a superb pass from Horgan.
It was a case of so close yet so far yet again. But with two games remaining, they remain in contention for the last 32 with a guarantee of something to play for when they travel to Israel for their final game on December 8th.