MARATHON TESTS DON’T FAZE FOLAN
he is linking up well with full back Sean Gannon.
“The gaffer knows I’m not an out and out winger and he doesn’t expect me to play fleecing lads down the outside but I think I work well with Ganno,” he said.
“I’d just like to add a few more goals to my game now. That has been the frustrating thing so far. I think I got seven or eight goals last year. I’m aiming to better that this year but once the first one goes in I’m sure that there will be more to follow.”
The games are coming thick STEPHEN Folan insists he is geared up for another marathon week as he aims to ensure Dundalk remain top of the table ahead of next week’s crunch clash away to champions Cork City at Turner’s Cross.
The Galway man was the only outfield member of Stephen Kenny’s side to play 120 minutes in the EA Sports Cup penalty shoot-out win over St Patrick’s Athletic last Monday and the 90 minutes in the 2-0 win over Bray Wanderers at the Carlisle Grounds on Friday.
Now Folan says he is ready for another 180 minutes this week as Dundalk take on his former club Limerick FC at the Markets Field on Tuesday, followed by a home game with Derry City on Friday night (both games kick-off 7.45pm).
Asked had the exertions of last week left him jaded, Folan said: “No not really. I’d like to think I’m a fit lad. The more minutes I get the sharper I’m going to get after not playing for a month.
“Since coming in the games have been quick and intense but I feel like I’m getting my second wind again now and I’m starting to feel more comfortable within myself fitness wise so long may that continue.”
Folan was also proud of another clean sheet and says his partnership with Daniel Cleary is developing nicely with Brian Gartland and Sean Hoare still to return to strengthen the defence even further.
“Myself and Dan have only conceded one goal together but it doesn’t matter who is in there whether it’s me and Garts, Dan and Garts, Dan and Sean or me or Sean.
“We’re very lucky in that department that we have four centre backs who could play in most teams in the league but it’s about the 11 on the pitch and whoever comes in will be chomping at the bit.
‘Sean is obviously back from injury now soon enough so the competition will be high and it’s only going to push us on as a group because I see us as a group of four. I think we’ll get better as everyone gets back fit.
“Nine clean sheets from 10 is a phenomenal record and we want to keep it going. Come the end of the season you want to lift silverware and if we can keep clean sheets at the back then there is plenty of attacking power in our team to score goals.”
That ideology certainly proved true on Friday night as Dundalk held off a battling Bray side to move two points clear at the top. Folan told The Argus afterwards that other sides would be found out at the Carlisle Grounds sooner rather than later.
“Come the middle of the season I think it will be a fairer reflection of where they are but we won and that’s all that matters so we have to keep going now.
“They were very organised. Martin Russell, having worked with him previously, is a very good coach and they will come out of the bottom in the next couple of weeks and start to pick up points. As I said before they have good individual players that can hurt you so to come away with the clean sheet is good, especially when we were penned in for a lot of the second half. They really put it up to us but we won and kept a clean sheet so we move on now to Tuesday.”
Folan is looking forward to going back to Limerick this week having made 67 appearances for the club across two seasons in 2013 and 2014. Sentiment will go out the window though the minute he takes to the pitch at the Markets Field.
“I had a fantastic time at Limerick. I came home from England having not played a senior game but I felt at home at Limerick. I worked under Martin Russell there and I really enjoyed it. There are a lot of good people there but we’re going down there to turn them over and keep the momentum going into the Derry game.” and fast right now for Dundalk with Tuesday’s match in Limerick followed by a home tie with Derry City on Friday night. McGrath’s work off the field means he is ready and able for it.
“The boys slag me at times saying I need to lay off the weights but it took a bit of work,” he said of his physical progression.
“I think I can see the benefits of it now by not being pushed off it as easily and being a bit more physical around the pitch. It does help you, it gives you another few percent around the pitch and that’s what you want to try to be the best you can.”
Such work paid dividends on Friday night when Dundalk made tough work of seeing off a dogged Bray Wanderers side.
“It was a tough one. Obviously the pitch wasn’t as good as we would like it to be but it was one of them games where you have to dig in and we showed we can do that and the result was good.
“Bray have a new manager so they were all out to impress so it brought their game up another few percent and I thought we had to rise to it as well.” DUNDALK can look forward to an EA Sports Cup quarter-final meeting with Bohemians at Oriel Park on Tuesday May 8th after coming back from the brink of defeat to keep their hopes of retaining the trophy for the first time alive at Richmond Park on Monday last.
Stephen Kenny’s side looked to be on their way out of the competition when they trailed their opponents 4-3 deep in extra-time but a Dane Massey equaliser right at the death ensured a thrilling penalty shoot-out which the Lilywhites prevailed in.
Marco Tagbajumi, who would later score the decisive spot kick, had given Dundalk the lead after just three minutes when he charged down a clearance from Pat’s goalkeeper Tyson Farago to turn the ball home.
The visitors then made it 2-0 just before half-time when Stephen O’Donnell teed Ronan Murray up for a shot that flew to the bottom corner.
Pat’s, who had won this competition themselves in 2015 and 2016, refused to throw in the towel and pulled a goal back early in the second half when Christy Fagan volleyed a speculative effort to the top corner from Ian Turner’s cross.
They then levelled soon after when Graham Kelly’s shot deflected to the net off Darragh Markey to make it 2-2.
Tagbajumi did have a big chance to avoid extra-time when he was slipped in by Krisztián Adorján late on but the striker was denied a second by Farago.
Pat’s then hit the front seven minutes into extra-time when Michael Leahy headed home from James Doona’s cross.
Leahy would then gift Dundalk a route back into the game moments later when he turned Dylan Connolly’s cross into his own net to leave it 3-3.
He then completed a unique seven minute hat-trick when he added a second at the other end on the stroke of half-time with another fine header.
Dundalk looked to be heading out of the competition until a minute from the end when Massey met Adorján’s corner to glance a header in off the right hand post.
That took the game to penalties with Christy Fagan getting Pat’s up and running before Massey went from hero to villain by missing his side’s first attempt as it was saved by Farago.
Gabriel Sava would deny Dean Clarke with the next effort as Jamie McGrath tied things up with the next kick.
Doona, Kelly, Jamie Lennon, Kevin Toner, Leahy and Simon Madden all then converted for Pat’s with Dundalk replying in turn through Georgie Poynton, Adorján, Brian Gartland, John Mountney, O’Donnell and Stephen Folan. That left it 7-7 with Markey blazing over his side’s next attempt to give Dundalk the chance to win the game. Tagbajumi stepped up and duly took it with a cool finish past Farago to send Dundalk through.