DID YOU KNOW?
100% record gone for Garts
Brian Gartland being benched on Friday night meant no member of the Dundalk squad has played every minute of every game in the league this season. Michael Duffy is now the only member of the squad to start all 12 league matches to date. Having come off the bench in the final two league games of last season, the last league game that Gartland didn’t feature in whatsoever for Dundalk was on September 12th last year when the Lilywhites beat Finn Harps 2-0 at Oriel Park.
Mountney back on board
Friday night was John Mountney’s first league start in five weeks and six days. He hadn’t featured in the league since the defeat to Cork City on March 25th, with his only league outing since then as a late substitute in the defeat to Galway the previous week. Mountney, along with Chris Shields had both made their 200th competitive appearance for Dundalk, in the 3-0 EA Sports Cup victory over Waterford last Monday.
Finn record intact
Ronan Finn became the fourth former Dundalk player to score against Stephen Kenny’s side in the league this season following on from Marc Griffin, Vinny Faherty and Gary Shanahan. His strike on Friday night was the 61st straight game he has scored in and not lost. Rovers have never lost in a game he has scored in (33). His last defeat when scoring was in a league cup semi-final while playing for UCD in 2009.
Fifth defeat
Dundalk’s defeat to Shamrock Rovers on Friday was their fifth league loss this season. In 2014, they lost three, it was one in 2015 and six in 2016.
Back-to-back defeats
Friday’s loss to Shamrock Rovers a week after losing to Galway Utd was only the third time Dundalk have lost backto-back league games under Stephen Kenny. The first was in September 2013 when they lost consecutive games to St Patrick’s Athletic and Limerick. They also lost back-to-back matches against Galway Utd and Bray Wanderers last August.
Nic on target
Niclas Ve mmelund’s (below) goal on Friday night was his first for Dundalk and only his second in the League of Ireland. His only previous goal in Ireland was also in a 2-1 defeat for Derry City away to Cork City in Turner’s Cross last May.