Kenny’s Dalymount run
11 Krisztián Adorján 7 (Connolly 65) 23 Marco Tagbajumi 6 (Hoban 81) 33 Dean Jarvis 6 (Benson 86)
22 Gabriel Sava 15 Stephen Folan 17 George Poynton 19 Ronan Murray
Referee
Paul McLaughlin (Monaghan).
Attendance
2,421
STATISTICS MAN-OF-THE-MATCH
Sean Hoare (Dundalk)
Some doubted whether Hoare had the qualities to fill in for Sean Gannon at right back. He answered those critics in some style on Friday night. Even if it weren’t for his goal at the end, Hoare was always going to be man of the match on the night. He gave an exhibition in the full back role – playing a pivotal part in the opener with the cross that Michael Duffy would head down to Patrick Hoban to score and was a constant threat throughout with a couple of half chances at goal himself. One of his best Dundalk displays. Gary Rogers and Chris Shields were also superb on the night.
TALKINGPOINT
It’s getting pretty boring now but Dundalk were denied another stone wall penalty early in the second half when Patrick Hoban was hauled to the ground as he attempted to get on the end of Dylan Connolly’s cross. It was, according to SoccerRepublic pundit Alan Cawley the “most blatant penalty I think I’ve ever seen not given.” That’s several penalties that Dundalk have been denied this season. It didn’t prove costly on Friday night thankfully but there’s little doubt that the Lilywhites have to work that bit harder to earn a spot kick than other sides in the league.
HOWTHEYSTAND
P Dundalk 18 Cork City 17 Waterford 18 St. Patrick’s Ath 18 Derry City 17 Shamrock Rovers 18 Bohemians 18 Sligo Rovers 18 Limerick 18 Bray Wanderers 18 W 12 12 10 9 8 6 5 4 4 2 D 4 2 3 3 3 5 4 4 4 2 L 2 3 5 6 6 7 9 10 10 14 F 38 30 26 25 31 24 18 14 14 11 A 8 11 20 19 26 16 26 26 34 45 Pt 40 38 33 30 27 23 19 16 16 8 WHEN the going gets tough, the tough get going.
So it proved for Dundalk FC last week as they made it nine points in the space of seven days by grinding out a hard fought victory away to Bohemians at Dalymount Park.
After working hard to see off both Sligo Rovers and Derry City, Dundalk had to ride their luck at times to ensure they remained top of the table at the weekend.
While others, most notably Waterford, were dropping points around them the experience and class of Stephen Kenny’s side shone through again to get the job done against The Gypsies.
It wasn’t always pretty but these are the sort of games you need to win to win titles.
Indeed, Kenny’s record of seven wins
Bohemians Dundalk 0 2
and two draws from his nine league visits to Dalymount as Dundalk manager is the sort of statistic that backs up just why he has brought so much success to Oriel Park. You never get an easy game in Phibsborough and it’s rarely pretty but the Lilywhites just have this knack of getting the job done there and they did it again on Friday night.
Last week against Sligo the talk was of players stepping up. One of those, Pat Hoban, was on target again after just four minutes but this week we also saw Sean Hoare come of age in the full back role.
There are those who questioned his ability to fill in for the injured Sean Gannon at right back but he answered those critics emphatically on Friday with one of his finest Dundalk displays. He had a big role to play in the opener before sealing the win himself with a late header for what was his first league goal for the club.
Dundalk did ride their luck at times with Chris Shields having to clear off the line before half-time and Gary Rogers forced into a superb save to deny Dylan Watts, but equally the Bohs goal lived a charmed life at times too as the Lilywhites took a deserved win.
The visitors got off to a dream start when they hit the front after just four minutes. Hoare’s crossfield pass was headed down at the back post by Michael Duffy to Hoban, who made no mistake with a composed finish from eight yards out for what was his 12th goal of the season.
Hoare then went close to getting his name on the scoresheet himself on 18 minutes when he cut in from the right onto his left foot only to see his rasping shot flash just over Shane Supple’s crossbar.
Bohs slowly grew into the game and conjured up their first opening four minutes later. Keith Buckley slipped Dinny Corcoran in on the right but the striker was denied at point blank range by Rogers. Hoare would go close again just after the half hour mark when he flashed a shot just wide moments after crossing for Duffy, whose header had to be tipped over by Supple. Brian Gartland then