Dundalk plotting Rebel’s downfall
SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE
will undergo a late fitness test.
With a Division 1 League semi-final and the Division 2 final both taking place on Sunday last the management had an anxious few hours hoping that no new injury concerns would emerge as quite a number of the panel were on club duty.
Carlow with Bart Martin in his second year in charge have a nice mixture of youth and experience. They’ve had recent success at U14 and U16 reaching provincial finals at both levels in 2015 and ‘16.
Martin has formed the basis of the current side with members of those under age sides combined with some of the more long serving players.
Carlow had a decent League campaign just narrowly missing out on a semi-final place. While Louth have dominated recent meetings, Carlow will take confidence from last year’s clash in the league where they had an impressive seven-point win over the Reds.
If key players such as Aiveen Gilmartin, Anne Roche,Muireann O’Sullivan and Marie Kinsella hit top form they are capable of causing a major upset.
Louth went on to take the All-Ireland title a few months later beating Scotland who were captained by ex Roche Emmetts star Roseanna Heaney in the final played at Croke Park.
See pages 38-39 for more THE World Cup might be in full swing in Russia but the biggest game this week on this side of Europe will take place in Oriel Park on Friday night when Dundalk host Cork City in a top of the table clash (kick-off 7.35pm, live on RTÉ Two).
When even Stephen Kenny acknowledges that a game is ‘massive’ then you know it’s a big one.
The manager has been known to play down the importance of big matches but given the recent form of both sides and recent history, it would be no surprise if the headto-head battles between Dundalk and Cork determine the destination of this year’s league title.
The Lilywhites have been in scintillating form of late and Kenny is anxious for them to kick on now after the break as they have done in previous years.
‘It is massive,’ he said of day’s match.
‘It’s an important game, there’s no doubt about it but it’s one we’re capable of winning. The players are in good form at the moment and we can approach the game with confidence.
‘The players are playing terrifically well and we want to bring that into the game on Friday night.
‘We’ve eight straight victories and we’re playing well but we need a passionate support on the night. I think with the World Cup on at the moment the focus is not so much on the league but we want a passionate home support to get behind us because we’re trying to do something historic, something that no one in Dundalk would have thought imaginable which is to win four leagues in five years. It’s a great game and it would be great to have a really substantial, passionate crowd on the night.
‘The players are looking to keep the winning run going. In the mid-season break for the last few years we’ve kicked on from it but we’ve a tough game against Cork. We acknowledge that but we’re ready for it.’
Aside from captain Stephen O’Donnell, Kenny has reported a clean bill of health following the return from a training camp in Spain. He admits though that the game ‘is a bit early’ for John Mountney, who has been sidelined in recent weeks.
‘We only had four days away but it was good. It helps focus the mind and reinvigorate everyone for the really important part of the season coming up.’
Given Cork lead the table by a point at present, there is an argument to be made that most of the pressure is on Dundalk heading into Friday’s game but that’s not the way Kenny sees it.
‘It’s not the way I read said.
‘I know people might read it that way but I look at the bigger picture and I don’t read it like that at all. We’re in a great position and players are getting better. You can see the players improving all the Friit,’ he time. It’s a game we’re looking forward to.
‘Our record in the league over the last five years against Cork has been very favourable. We’ve certainly won more than we’ve lost. We’ve had three years of winning the league, Cork won it last year and we’re neck and neck now so we want to go and get a big home victory in front of our support, that’s the ambition.
‘There’s no talk of pressure or anything like that. Every week we put ourselves under pressure to get results but I think that’s the mentality of the team and that’s why they’ve been so successful and that doesn’t change this week.’
With Cork potentially getting a bye to the third round of the Europa League qualifying stages should they lose their Champions League qualifier against Legia Warsaw, Kenny also said he was unconcerned at the prospect of John Caulfield’s side opening up a lead from being able to play league matches in between.
‘It doesn’t bother me at all but it seems to bother some people,’ he laughed.
‘You’re not the first person to mention that. The reality is after we play Cork and St Patrick’s Athletic we’ve 11 games and three months to play them. We just have to do our best to maximize the points total from those 11 games so it’s irrelevant whether there’s matches in hand or matches in advance. That’s really irrelevant.
‘It’s not like in 2016 where you had 21 matches in that period. There’s only 11 in August, September and October so that’s all very manageable. The only thing that matters is that you’ve got a maximum chance of achieving the highest points total possible.’
While away, Dundalk were paired with Levadia Tallinn in the first qualifying round of the Europa League, with the prize on offer for the winner being a second round tie against AEK Larnaca of Cyprus.
Kenny has previous with the Estonians having lost to them while in charge of Bohemians 14 years ago and he doesn’t think it will be an easy game this time around either.
‘I think the games between the top two teams in Estonia Flora and Levadia Tallinn and Irish teams have over the years been generally very tight,’ he said.
‘We’ve a difficult first leg in Tallinn but we’re just going to have to go and prepare accordingly and do our homework. They’re 18 games into their season so they’re mid-season. They have a lot of players who played for the Estonian national team. Their left back has 120 caps and they have a Ukrainian forward who scores a lot of goals but we just have to do our utmost over there to give ourselves a strong chance in Oriel to go through.’
While Cork City beat Levadia 6-2 on aggregate last season, Kenny says not very much can be read into that result.
‘Seani Maguire got a quick-fire hat-trick in the home leg but I don’t think you can read too much into that. It was one game in isolation,’ he said.
‘That bares no relevance and the team has no relevance because there are only six survivors from last year’s game with Cork and they’ve a new coach so that game has no relevance.’
Given Cork City play Dundalk’s old foes from the Champions
HOWTHEYSTAND
Cork City Dundalk Waterford Shamrock Rov Derry City
St. Patrick’s Ath Sligo Rovers Bohemians Limerick Bray Wanderers P 23 23 23 23 23 23 22 22 23 23 W 18 17 12 9 10 9 6 5 4 3 D 2 4 4 6 3 3 5 6 6 3 L 3 2 7 8 10 11 11 11 13 17 F 45 58 32 37 37 27 19 21 15 14 A 14 10 25 22 41 33 28 31 43 58 Pt 56 55 40 33 33 30 23 21 18 12 League play-offs in 2016, Legia Warsaw, in Europe and the Lilywhites could end up meeting the two sides they faced in Europe last year, there is an argument for the two rivals to swap notes on their European opponents after Friday night’s game but Kenny doesn’t know if that will happen.
‘I don’t know,’ he said when asked would they.
‘Both teams have changed dramatically. Just looking at Levadia at the moment, they have only six players in the squad from last year so it’s a different group. We just need to focus on this new Levadia team and make sure we’re well prepared for that.’
Dundalk continue to be linked with a number of signings when the transfer window opens next week. Amongst them are Patrick McEleney, Georgie Kelly and Dylan Watts.
However, Kenny said he was not in a position to comment on any of those moves.
‘There’s not a lot I can say at the moment. I’m just focused on having a fully focused squad for Friday,’ said the manager.
Asked would either Daryl Horgan or Andy Boyle interest him amongst reports they are to leave Preston North End, Kenny said: ‘I’m sure they’re staying in England.’
Kenny said he was also unsure if Krisztián Adorján would be remaining at the club beyond the end of his loan deal at the end of July.
‘I don’t to be honest,’ he said when asked about the Hungarian’s future.
‘These are things we have to work out. It’s complicated. He still has another year left on his contract in Italy so it’s not straight forward.’
Kenny also said that nobody had contacted him regarding Michael Duffy amid reports that Derry City had made a move to bring the winger back to his hometown club.