New signing McGrath gets Lilywhites off to flying start

Glenavon 0 Dundalk 1

AN 89th minute strike from debutant Jamie McGrath ensured Dundalk made a winning start to their pre-season campaign away to Glenavon at Mourneview Park in Lurgan on Monday night.

Played in difficult windy and rainy conditions, it looked like the two sides were heading for a draw until a short corner on the right to substitute Keith Dalton saw the youngster cross to McGrath to prod home at the near post.

It was the silver lining at the end of a largely forgettable game, which came just 53 days since the club’s last outing against Maccabi Tel Aviv on December 8th.

Around 150 or so Dundalk fans turned up to see new recruits McGrath, Sean Hoare, Niclas Vemmelund and Conor Clifford for the first time.

However, it was the presence of another debutant, trialist Paddy McCourt, that drew the most attention.

Stephen Kenny confirmed afterwards that he is assessing the former Celtic star to see whether or not he is worthy of a contract at Oriel Park but it was difficult to judge him on this performance.

While all eyes were on McCourt, it was arguably the other Derry man on the field, Patrick McEleney, who shone most for the visitors on the night. The conditions, coupled with a bumpy pitch, meant it was hard to really judge any of the new recruits.

Despite James Gray being the only survivor from the Glenavon side which lost at home to Crusaders two days earlier, you could tell by the early showing that it was Dundalk’s first outing of the year.

The intention was good in trying to play out from the back but often the passing was sloppy and it almost cost them on 11 minutes when Clifford gave the ball away to Renato De Vecchi. He in turned found Mark Patton, who teed up Gray for a shot that Gabriel Sava had to save at the second attempt.

Gray would have another couple of chances throughout the half but all lacked the power to really trouble the visitors.

Goalkeepers need to adjust to pre-season too and it told with Sava when he flapped at a couple of corners in the 19th minute. The first from Kyle Neill he spilled only for Dane Massey to get him off the hook. He was equally all at sea from Andy Hall’s follow up but James Singleton failed to punish his error by heading wide at the back post.

At the other end, the best of Dundalk’s chances fell Ciaran Kilduff’s way. A fine pass from McGrath played him in on 12 minutes only for the forward to blaze over.

He then had another big miss on 23 mintues when McEleney charged up the right before delivering an inch perfect cross that the striker headed just wide with the goal at his mercy.

There was another miss on 36 minutes after goalkeeper James Taylor came to meet a Paddy Barrett ball in McGrath’s direction and failed to clear. The loose pass fell Kilduff’s way but his lob was just wide.

Five changes at the break disrupted some of the momentum Dundalk had been building although there was an early effort from McCourt, now playing off McGrath, that stung the palms of Taylor before fellow debutant Hoare pulled an effort wide at the front post on 56 minutes having met Carlton Ubaezuono’s corner.

Dundalk had to ride their luck a minute later when big penalty appeals were turned down after a poor pass from Sava saw Renato De Vecchi go down under a challenge from Vemmelund. It looked for all the world a penalty but referee Jamie Robinson was unconvinced.

Further changes by both sides meant the game looked like petering out but McGrath ensured a winning start for Dundalk with his late goal.

It was far from brilliant but it’s a winning start and crucially a game which all 17 players involved came through unscathed.

Next stop Spain on Wednesday where Espanyol B will be played in the first of two games over there on Thursday. GLENAVON: Taylor; Hall, Kelly (Hamilton HT), Elebert, Neill (Canning 44); De Vecchi (Sharvin 74), Singleton, Norton (Hill 78), Patton; Gray (Fisher HT), Bates (Jenkins 69).

DUNDALK: Sava; Vemmelund, Barrett (Gartland HT), Hoare, Massey (Gannon HT); McCourt (Dalton 71), Clifford, Benson (O’Donnell HT), McGrath; McEleney (Mountney HT); Kilduff (Ubaezuono HT). Subs not used: Finn, Higgins.

REFEREE: Jamie Robinson.