SSE AIRTRICITY PREMIER DIVISION SERIES 25 Champs beat Youths
SOCCER Dundalk end hectic week with yet another
Shane Dempsey were also out of contention.
It led to five changes in all from the side which surprised Sligo Rovers in the cup seven days earlier, with Craig McCabe, Andy Mulligan, Conor O’Keeffe, Jonny Bonner and Shane Dunne coming in for Andrew O’Connor, Danny Ledwith, Conor Whittle, Shane Dempsey and Eoin Porter respectively.
Eric Molloy was fit to take his place on the bench after being an injury doubt beforehand, while another interesting inclusion was netminder Corey Chambers from Gorey, who has joined the club via Bray Wanderers, Waterford United and some Irish under-age representative sides.
Left winger Darren Meenan had a big influence for Dundalk in the absence of fellow wide man Daryl Horgan who was suspended, and his first testing cross in the third minute was dealt with by Stephen Last who had strong back-up from Graham Doyle.
Aidan Keenan headed a Jonny Bonner free-kick across the box at the other end on Youths’ first attack of note, but Dundalk captain Stephen O’Donnell cleared the danger.
And when Keenan was fouled in a central area after a long Graham Doyle free-kick in the eighth minute, Bonner fizzed a good low effort just wide.
Youths were settling into this major test of their credentials, with Andy Mulligan cutting in from the left in the eleventh minute to set up an opening for Shane Dunne who wasn’t too far off the mark with another decent attempt.
Robbie Benson, who scored that memorable volleyed goal against Legia in Warsaw three nights earlier, sent his header from a Seán Gannon cross in the wrong direction before Lee Grace dealt with another delivery from Shane Grimes.
Stephen O’Donnell picked out John Mountney who tested Graham Doyle with a shot in the 18th minute, and the netminder appeared to use his foot to keep it out in a somewhat unorthodox manner.
Stephen Last cleared another cross from Gannon at the near post as Dundalk’s passing game started to put Youths very much on the back foot, and David McMillan nearly availed of a slip by Conor O’Keeffe in his own box before the danger was averted.
Doyle was equal to the task again when McMillan laid the ball off to Darren Meenan who had a go, with Aidan Keenan shooting over at the other end on a Youths breakaway after Shane Dunne’s effort was blocked.
Lee Grace conceded the first corner in the 24th minute, cutting out John Mountney’s ball over the top on the right, with Peter Higgins heading away from Darren Meenan before Dundalk pressed again.
Mountney crossed to McMillan whose header at the far post went off Grace for the second and last corner of the half, but successive balls into the box were dealt with by Keenan and the very impressive Grace respectively.
Darren Meenan misjudged a free-kick before entering the notebook for holding Shane Dunne and preventing a counter-attack in the 31st minute. And Meenan was then on the receiving end as he was quickly joined on a yellow card by Conor O’Keeffe - playing in a more advanced midfield role from his normal full-back posting.
Referee Robert Harvey was writing again in the 37th minute, with Peter Higgins incurring his wrath for a foul on John Mountney, and this would prove particularly costly after the break when the combative midfielder received his marching orders.
Dundalk’s Andy Boyle headed clear from Craig McCabe’s first long throw of the evening before the only goal arrived in the 39th minute. And there was more than a stroke of good fortune about it as a Youths drive richoceted upfield into the path of David McMillan who had Conor O’Keeffe as his nearest opponent as he raced clear and tucked a neat shot out of reach of the advancing Graham Doyle.
Luck certainly deserted Youths on this occasion and, while they did well not to concede again, especially after being reduced to ten men, Dundalk’s dominance possession-wise was heightened even more with that numerical advantage.
They did try to press home their advantage before the break, with Lee Grace clearing a low cross from Seán Gannon and Graham Doyle yellow-carded in the follow-up.
Grace was equal to another delivery from John Mountney before a Shane Grimes shot was just off target, while Doyle had to be disciplined not to take down McMillan in the box when he raced out to reduce his options in the 43rd minute.
Lee Grace was the most overworked but also the best Youths performer throughout, and he stood tall to deal with a couple of dangerous Dundalk attacks on the re-start.
A Jonny Bonner free-kick broke out to Shane Dunne in the 52nd minute, but he shot into the ground and it was comfortably saved by Gary Rogers.
Stephen Last made a good tackle on David McMillan after a Robbie Benson pass before Lee Grace came to the rescue again when Benson tried to play McMillan in.
A major yellow midst then descended between the 56th and 59th minutes, and it ultimately cost Youths dearly. They certainly weren’t shy