Dundalk eyeing Cup treble after derby stroll
WHAT is likely to be the last Louth derby for some time, in the league at least, took on a familiar feel at Oriel Park on Friday.
Despite Drogheda Utd making a decent fist of things in the first half, by the finish Dundalk had run out easy winners yet again over Pete Mahon’s side.
It has become a familiar theme of these games unfortunately. While a decade or so ago the Boynesiders were ruling the roost, it is very much Dundalk who are the county kingpins these days.
Since the freak 4-1 defeat to Drogheda at United Park in the opening game of the 2014 season, the sides have met nine times in all competitions with Dundalk coming out on top on nine occasions. The aggregate score over that period has been 33-3 with this season’s fixtures generating a scoreline of 16-1 on their own.
That statistic, coupled with the fact that the Boynesiders were available at a price of 70/1 with certain bookmakers for a win on Friday night, is a sign of just how large the gulf currently is between the two sides.
Drogheda looked destined for the First Division next season and hopefully they can rebuild there as a healthy, competitive rivalry between the sides is good for both.
Mahon said at the start of the season that this year was perhaps one too early for his young side and so it has proved.
That said, if they can show the sort of fighting spirit they did in the opening half of Friday’s game then their fortunes might be on the up sooner rather than later.
While Dundalk were perhaps guilty of creating many of their own problems by being sloppy in possession in both defence and midfield, Drogheda took the game to them and with a bit of luck could have had an early lead.
Six changes from the EA Sports Cup victory six days earlier gave a disjointed look to the side early on with Stephen O’Donnell and Conor Clifford struggling to get a foothold on possession as they lined out with each other for only the second time in the league and the first since the 2-1 defeat to Shamrock Rovers in Tallaght back at the start of May.
The visitors perhaps should have taken advantage of this early on and had that transpired who knows what sort of a game would have emerged. Shane Elworthy beat Gary Rogers with a shot after just four minutes only to see it headed off the line by Brian Gartland.
By contrast Dundalk had to wait until the 23rd minute for their first shot through Steven Kinsella but they almost took the lead a minute later when Dylan Connolly crashed a half volley off the post.
Drogheda went close again on 29 minutes after some indecision by Rogers in coming to meet Sean Brennan’s ball forward. He initially came to meet it before retreating when Thomas Byrne got there first. The young striker looked to chip the keeper but Rogers got back to claw the ball away from under his crossbar.
Dundalk were struggling to get going but eventually made the breakthrough on 41 minutes. Gartland’s cross from the right was met by the head of Stephen O’Donnell. Stephen McGuinness managed to keep his effort out but Kinsella was on hand to stab home the rebound for his first league goal for the club.
With the goal advantage, the home side grew more into the game in the second half with O’Donnell and Gartland both going close before the second goal arrived on 65 minutes. Sean Gannon found space on the right to cross to David McMillan who steered his header back across goal to the bottom corner for his 21st goal in all competitions this season.
It was largely one way traffic after that with substitute Michael Duffy forcing a fine stop from McGuinness before McMil- lan went close twice in quick succession - firstly hammering a shot off the crossbar after being played through by Niclas Vemmelund and then going close with a long range effort.
Drogheda’s evening went from bad to worse eight minutes from the end when Byrne was sent off for a second bookable offence having blocked off Patrick McEleney. The striker had also been sent off in the corresponding fixture at United Park in June.
Dundalk looked to take advantage of the extra man after that with Robbie Benson going agonisingly close before fellow substitute Duffy wrapped the game up in the 91st minute with a cool finish past McGuinness after cutting in from the left.
This may be the last Louth derby for a while. Hopefully the next time it rolls around the challenge will be a greater one.