LILIES HAVE DUN’ DAMAGE

Champions rocked by Mountney’s last-gasp winner 1 0

FOR A few magical moments last night, Dundalk fans could forget about the mayhem that has engulfed their club.

Captain John Mountney’s injury-time winner against Shamrock Rovers moved them to within three points of neighbours Drogheda United, who suffered a late collapse against Galway United.

This morning it’s back to the reality of a second managerial search in a month. And on the pitch there is still plenty to be done if they are to climb away from the danger zone.

But last night Oriel Park rocked just like the old days when Mountney, Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle were winning league titles and making history in Europe.

His 91st-minute winner was a thing of beauty. Substitute Hayden Muller’s right-wing cross took two bounces before it reached Mountney on the edge of the area.

Second

He swung first-time with his right boot and drilled the ball low inside the left-hand post.

The dugout emptied out and the stands shook as fans celebrated a famous win, only their second of the season after 16 games.

Kick-off was delayed by half-an-hour due to the gridlock that brought Dublin to a standstill, in the wake of yesterday morning’s tragic M50 crash.

It was almost 10 minutes after the scheduled start when the Shamrock

Rovers players finally started their warm-up.

Their sluggish start suggested that they could have done with more time to go through their pre-match routine.

But they were up against a determined Dundalk side, one that was set up to squeeze the life out of their attempts to move the ball through the thirds.

Decision

Noel King’s 25-day reign was acknowledged in the matchday programme, as was the shock decision to let Brian Gartland go after 11 years as a player and Head of Football Operations.

Former St Patrick’s Athletic boss

Jon Daly has entered the picture as a possible replacement for King, who last month came in for Stephen O’Donnell, only to leave on medical advice.

Two ex-Sligo Rovers managers

Ian Baraclough and Liam Buckley have also been mentioned.

While there is plenty of work to be done both on and off the pitch at Oriel Park, last night’s performance offered brief respite from the madness that has engulfed this club.

Leon POHLS ................................... 6 Josh HONOHAN ............................. 6 Dan CLEARY ................................... 7 Roberto LOPES ............................... 7 Darragh NUGENT ........................... 6 Sean KAVANAGH ............................ 6 Jack BYRNE ................................... 6 Conan NOONAN .............................. 7 Trevor CLARKE .............................. 6 Johnny KENNY .............................. 6 Aaron GREENE ............................... 6

Graham Burke (for Kenny, 66) ....... 6 Neil Farrugia (for Noonan, 66) ...... 6 Aaron McEneff (for Kavanagh 74)

JOSH HONOHAN

Tucked in, leaving Mountney in acres of space to finish

REFEREE:

Daryl Horgan was a menace as he linked up with Paul Doyle and Archie Davies, while Mayowa Animashahun was rock solid in defence.

Rovers’ one shot on target last night was a Johnny Kenny effort with 17 minutes on the clock, but it was little more than a half-chance that came from a rare piece of penetrative play.

Sean Kavanagh slipped a clever pass to Conan Noonan, he played Kenny into the area, but the striker was pushed wide and his angled shot was easily saved at the near post.

Excited

There was little else for the travelling supporters to get excited about. Jack Byrne’s 22nd minute free-kick went over the bar. And when Byrne and Noonan linked up in the middle, the latter’s long ball over the top towards Kenny bounced into the arms of goalkeeper Ross Munro.

While Dundalk shaped up last night to frustrate their opponents, they did produce some encouraging moments in the final third. Paul Doyle went closest to breaking the deadlock before Mountney’s injurytime strike when he fired inches wide from 25 yards on the half-hour.

There were glimpses at goal too for Zak Bradshaw, Horgan and Doyle again in the second-half.

But it was left to Mountney to deliver the sensational winner with just moments remaining.