Injuries not as serious as first feared
SSE AIRTRICITY LEAGUE
DUNDALK head coach Vinny Perth has played down the severity of injuries to key midfielders Robbie Benson and Patrick McEleney, insisting on Monday afternoon that ‘neither are as bad as first feared.’
Benson was stretchered off after fracturing his fibula after being upended by Sligo Rovers goalkeeper Ed McGinty in the sixth minute of their 1-1 draw at Oriel Park on Friday night.
Meanwhile, McEleney hobbled off eight minutes from the end after appearing to damage his ankle in an attempt to keep the ball in play as Dundalk pressed for a winner.
While neither injury is reported to be as bad as first feared, it is understood the pair could end up missing up to a dozen matches should they be out for the reported six weeks to two months timeframe.
Speaking to dundalkfc.com on Monday, Perth, said: ‘Robbie Benson and Patrick McEleney continue to be evaluated this morning, but neither are as bad as first feared.
‘It’s disappointing for both lads considering the form they were in, and how hard they worked in pre-season. Both were playing really well against Sligo Rovers before coming off.’
Following the capture of Northern Irish U-21 international right back Cameron Dummigan from Oldham Athletic on Friday, the club remain in the market for further new recruits before this Friday’s deadline. A winger and striker are amongst those believed to be under consideration but whether or not one or both those deals come off, Perth feels Dundalk can cope without two players who initially signed for the club together before the start of the 2016 campaign.
‘We feel confident that we have put together a really strong squad this season and I think we can deal with both injuries. With the strength and depth we have in this squad I think it’s the strongest squad we’ve had.
‘Certain quarters say that we know how to manage referees but I feel we were deserving of a lot more protection on Friday. We are not a club of excuses, we have a strong squad and we look forward to the challenges ahead.’
Those challenges continue with a first away trip of the season to face newly promoted Finn Harps in Ballybofey on Friday night (kick-off 8pm).
It’s likely that new recruit Jordan Flores will come into the fray having been lined up to feature for the club for the first time in Monday night’s Leinster Senior Cup tie against Athlone Town. Jamie McGrath is unlikely to return having yet to play this season due to a groin problem.
Dundalk have enjoyed a good recent record against the Donegal side, who haven’t scored against them since winning a play-off at Finn Park 2-0 in November 2007. Ironically John Gill was in charge of the Lilywhites that night with Vinny Perth starting the game in midfield.
Speaking after Friday’s 1-1 draw with Sligo Rovers, Gill said the meeting with Ollie Horgan’s side would be a tough one.
‘Some of the boys probably haven’t been up there. It’s a unique place to play football and a tough place to play football.
‘It’s probably going to be played on a difficult pitch against a side who won’t give an inch and will battle for everything for their manager. Their manager and assistant manager are two great guys and two of the hardest working guys I know in the game.
‘We’re not going to go up there expecting anything other than a hard game but realistically if we can create as many chances as we created tonight I think we’ll beat anybody. Just tonight it didn’t happen for us in front of goal. People are disappointed in there but we’re not going to make excuses. We weren’t ruthless enough but some of the football we played at times was exhilarating I thought.’
Gill said he was pleased with a lot of Dundalk’s play on Friday despite their inability to get that crucial second goal to take all three points.
‘You’ll probably have doom and gloom merchants but we’re not doom and gloom. We played very, very well. You’ve got to look at the game in context, we missed a penalty and we missed four, five or six good chances and their keeper got man of the match.
‘The only thing that was missing was probably some of the ruthlessness in front of goal but some of the football that we played and the goal that we scored was excellent.
‘The most disappointing thing tonight is the two injuries. Hopefully the two boys are not too serious.
‘We had enough chances to win maybe four or five games. I know ifs, buts or maybes don’t get you points but you’ve got to take into context the way that we played. We were happy with the way we played. Obviously we’re not happy with the result and we’re disappointed with the injuries. Can we do better? Yes, we can in front of goal but you can’t fault any of them for the effort they put in and some of the football that we played.
‘There’ll be people questioning this, that and the other but we’re not questioning ourselves. Not with the way that we played. If I was speaking to you here and we hadn’t created chances and were lucky to dig a draw out of it I’d be worried but we’re not worried the way we played. We know that if we create the same amount of chances in future games then we’ll take them because the players are there to do that.’
Gill said the main positive from the night was the performance of debutant Sean Murray, who came up with the side’s equaliser on the night.
‘I thought Murray’s finish was excellent. He could have had a hat-trick himself and Hoban could have had a hat-trick.
‘I thought he played excellently when he came on. He probably should have scored the header in the first half, he had another chance in the second half and scored a great goal. He showed the quality player that we know he is. We signed another player today so all is not doom and gloom.
‘You will get people questioning this, that and the other but realistically if you were at the game or watched it on TV, I think even Liam Buckley will admit that Dundalk were by far the better team,’ said Gill.
We feel confident that we have put together a really strong squad this season and I think we can deal with both injuries. With the strength and depth we have in this squad I think it’s the strongest squad we’ve had