Lilywhites hope for happy ending as they find mojo in Dalymount rout
A TOPSY-TURVY year could yet have a superb ending after after Dundalk booked their place in the last four of the FAI Cup for the eighth time in nine seasons with arguably their most clinical display since lockdown against Bohemians at Friday night.
The display at Dalymount Park was far from perfect but it was a throw back to the sort of performance we’ve become accustomed to seeing from the Lilywhites in big matches.
It’s a sign of how much the club’s aura has slipped domestically that Bohs were arguably the favourites to advance on Friday night. However, after some time off and a period of reflection after a few abject league displays Dundalk produced what was undoubtedly their best domestic performance under Filippo Giovagnoli to set up a semi-final match up away to Athlone Town this weekend.
Barring a major slip-up, Dundalk should now have what it takes to book their place in what would be sixth consecutive FAI Cup final on Sunday December 6th.
That gives the side a chance of ensuring at least one piece of silverware resides in Oriel Park over the winter.
It may well be old foes Shamrock Rovers who await them in the final - although they also have to negotiate a last four tie against either Sligo Rovers or Derry City - but what more motivation could this side need than to put the Hoops to the sword and show there is life in the old dog yet.
With Patrick Hoban sidelined through injury, David McMillan was thrown in from the start and he showed a touch of the form which made him such a fan favourite by making himself a nuisance right from the off.
His willingness to burst a gut ensured that he dragged the Bohs centre halves into positions they didn’t want to go and it proved fruitful inside the opening 89 seconds when a superb move out from the back involving Gary Rogers, Daniel Cleary, Andy Boyle, Brian Gartland and Sean Gannon saw the latter pick out McMillan in space before he played a superb pass into the channel for Michael Duffy to race onto ahead of Michael Barker and he made no mistake with a superb finish across James Talbot to the bottom left hand corner.
Cleary, who was a major factor in Dundalk’s play on the night with his ability to drive forward out of defence, would have a header sail over from a Stefan Colovic free kick on eight minutes but the home side were gifted a lifeline back into the game just before the quarter hour mark.
Conor Levingston’s free kick dropped off Boyle into the path of Andre Wright whose effort struck the arm of Chris Shields. Referee Rob Harvey immediately pointed to the spot with Wright squeezing his penalty under Rogers to the bottom right hand corner to make it 1-1.
At that stage it would have been easy for the side’s heads to drop but they kicked on from the setback
Indeed, there was almost
an immediate reply in the 16th minute when Greg Sloggett held off Levingston before teeing up Shields for a shot that Talbot did well to hold.
Duffy would also sting the palms of the Bohs goalkeeper soon after as Dundalk pushed to restore their lead.
That duly arrived in the 35th minute when McMillan converted from the spot after Duffy was bundled over in the box by Keith Buckley having shown superb skill to spin away from Barker from Cleary’s pass. Then within three minutes it was 3-1.
Cleary’s ball to the end line was kept alive by Cameron Dummigan whose pull back was headed in at the near post by McMillan. There were doubts whether the ball had crossed the line in the build-up before being crossed by Dummigan but even numerous TV replays proved inconclusive.
Dundalk did have Boyle to thank for keeping their two goal lead intact at the break when he headed off the line from Wright a minute before the interval.
While the overall display was impressive, there were a few scares early in the second half which the visitors were fortunate to survive. Levingston’s angled ball towards Grant saw him get a free header at goal that Rogers did well to save on the hour mark.
The goalkeeper would then come to his side’s rescue again three times in quick succession on 70 minutes. Having tipped a Jack Moylan effort over moments earlier, Rogers made a superb double stop to keep out Evan Ferguson’s header and his follow up moments later. Within two minutes Bohs were reduced to 10 men when Barker picked up his second yellow card for a foul on Shields.
That pretty much killed off any hopes of a comeback and it was more a case of how many Dundalk would add after that. Talbot saved twice from Daniel Kelly and McMillan before also making a more comfortable stop from Gartland’s header from a corner.
The clinching goal did arrive three minutes from the end, however, when Shields released Duffy on the left with a superb pass before the winger teed up Nathan Oduwa for his first Dundalk goal with his first touch of the night. Cleary, Gartland, Oduwa and Sloggett all had chances after that as Dundalk sought blood.
There was a slight feeling that this was the Dundalk of old about the display and yet it had a new, Italian feel to it.
There’s still Athlone and hopefully a final to negotiate but if Dundalk can end this season with the FAI Cup then it wouldn’t be a bad year at all. Perhaps more importantly it would send a warning that this side is far from finished and means business next year.