Penalty pain

THE penalty conceded by Sean Gannon against Shamrock Rovers last Tuesday was the first he has given away in his Dundalk career. A strange coincidence perhaps but the last 11 penalties for and against Dundalk have all been at Oriel Park. The last away from home was the one scored by Gary O’Neill for UCD in the Leinster Senior Cup semi final at the UCD Bowl last September. In total 13 of the last 14 penalties involving Dundalk have been in Oriel. The last league penalty in a game involving Dundalk away from Oriel Park was on May 19th 2017 in the 0-3 win away to Friday night’s opponents Limerick FC. SEAN Hoare’s red card following the full-time whistle of Dundalk’s defeat to Shamrock Rovers last Tuesday was the side’s first of the season. The last time a Dundalk player was sent off in a league match was when Ciaran Kilduff was dismissed in the 2-1 defeat away to Cork City at Turner’s Cross in March 2017. It was the second red card Hoare has received on what was the 150th game of his career. His previous red card came in a 5-1 defeat for St Patrick’s Athletic away to Bohemians at Dalymount Park in May 2016.

First home defeat

LAST Tuesday’s loss to Shamrock Rovers was Dundalk’s first league defeat this season at Oriel Park. The last time Dundalk lost a league game at home was at the end of last season when they went down 1-0 to Bohemians on October 20th 2017.