Kenny weighs up formation change for BIt O’Red visit
DUNDALK manager Stephen Kenny is weighing up the possibility of a formation change as he bids to get his side’s season back on track when they welcome Sligo Rovers to Oriel Park on Friday night (kick-off 7.45pm).
The Lilywhites have played with largely the same formation since Kenny arrived at the club in 2013 but five defeats from 12 matches so far this season has given the manager food for thought.
Trailing 2-0 to Shamrock Rovers at half-time in Tallaght on Friday, he opted to start the second half with three at the back, supported by wing backs.
And he admitted to The Argus after the game that that’s something Dundalk could look to implement more often going forward.
‘It is possible, we’ll have to see,’ he said when asked about the formation change.
‘We just needed to get hold of the game and we did that and created a lot of good play into wide positions but then we weren’t as accurate with our crossing as we should have been. A couple of times we did it just didn’t quite fall for us. David McMillan a couple of times nearly got on the end of it and Ciaran Kilduff. It was much better play generally.’
Despite taking slight encouragement from the second half, Kenny admitted Friday night’s defeat was poor.
‘It’s a disappointing defeat, we can’t get away from that,’ he said.
‘It’s the second week in a row that we’ve given away poor goals. We’ve given away goals from a throw in and a corner kick which is not what we’ve built our success on. We’ve built our success on never conceding from set plays so to concede from a throw in and a corner kick you’re giving yourself a mountain to climb then.
‘It’s crazy really to concede the goals that we did. We didn’t defend well in that period. We couldn’t get any fluency in our play in the first half. I think in the second half we played a lot better and got into wide areas and passed the ball very well but our crossing from wide positions was very erratic on both sides. Obviously we got a goal back but it was too little, too late.’
Asked could he put his finger on why Dundalk have made such a poor start, Kenny insisted there were many reasons but said the main thing now was to bounce back with a win against Sligo on Friday.
‘There are a lot of reasons and we’ve been over them a few times and all of that but obviously we’re disappointed with tonight.
‘You have no devine right to do anything, you have to earn the right to do it. We’ve not had any sort of consistency of selection and we’ve had a lot of issues this season so that’s just a disappointing defeat tonight because we were very determined and motivated to do it but we made a lot of mistakes.
‘We didn’t clear our lines and we had misplaced headers and things like that. Basic clearances up the park from Rovers we weren’t dealing with. Then we gave them a cheap throw-in and they’ve run off the back of one of our players to get the first goal. Then to concede from a corner kick is very unlike us. Dave McAllister does Dane (Massey0 for the goal and that’s hard to believe really. It was such a soft goal to concede.
‘We’ve just got to try and get ourselves right for Sligo now. That’s the priority and get a home victory again.’
The manager refused to categorise the visit of the Bit O Red as a must win though.
‘We can’t keep saying that. All that must win stuff, what does it mean like? Is every match for the rest of the season a must win. It’s just cliche stuff but we need to get back to winning ways against Sligo at home.
‘Our home form has been good but our away form has been erratic. Traditionally we were super away from home so that’s obviously where we’ve fallen down. Bar that Bray game, which was a bit of a freak game, we’ve won all our home games. We’ve lost four on the road now which is not acceptable so we’ll have to get back to winning ways on Friday.’
Brian Gartland will miss the game having sat out the loss in Tallaght with a back problem.
‘Brian has had an issue with a nerve problem in his back and has been playing on it but he just hasn’t been right so we just went with players who were fully fit.
‘He’s having an injection under ultrasound on Monday which will rule him out of next week so it’s just one of those things. He would have played but he has been finding it difficult not to sprint fully so I felt it was better to play players who were fit.’
Dundalk could also be without Stephen O’Donnell, who had to be substituted after 32 minutes on Friday with a head injury that required him to be taken to hospital. There could be a boost, however, with Robbie Benson in contention to return following his injury lay-off which stretches back to pulling his hamstring in the defeat to Cork City on March 25th.
It’s the second week in a row that we’ve given away poor goals. We’ve given away goals from a throw in and a corner kick which is not what we’ve built our success on. We’ve built our success on never conceding from set plays so to concede from a throw in and a corner kick you’re giving yourself a mountain to climb then.