Lilywhites remain the team to beat
PATRICK Hoban scored in either half as Dundalk came from behind to beat Crusaders in a pre-season friendly at a rainswept Seaview in Belfast on Monday last.
The visitors fell behind after just four minutes when a mistake by Brian Gartland was punished as Paul McElroy picked out David Cushley who coolly finished past Aaron McCarey to make it 1-0.
Rory Hale then went close to doubling Crusaders’ lead with a long range effort on eight minutes before Dundalk began to pile on the pressure.
Daniel Kelly fired just over from range before a clever dink by Hoban almost played Dane Massey in only for Chris Hegarty to get across in the nick of time to cut out the danger.
The equaliser then arrived on 23 minutes. New signing Cammy Smith, who only arrived on loan from Dundee United hours earlier, raced onto a short backward header by Cameron Dummigan - himself on loan at Crusaders from Dundalk. He then unselfishly laid off to Hoban on his right for the striker to rifle a first time shot past Sean O’Neill to the bottom left-hand corner. Ten minutes later Dundalk almost took the lead when good work down the left by Lido Lotefa saw him pull the ball back for Daniel Kelly whose left foot shot skimmed the top of the crossbar.
The visitors were almost gifted the lead within two minutes o the restart when Sean Murray’s cross was almost turned into his own net by Michael Ruddy who was fortunate to see the ball come back off the butt of the post.
The lead goal would arrive moments later when Hoban met Murray’s corner unmarked to squeeze a header past O’Neill at his left hand post.
McCarey was called into action a number of times after that to preserve Dundalk’s lead, turning a Reece McGinley effort around the post on 57 minutes before also denying Cushley two minutes later.
Dundalk should have made it 3-1 on 78 minutes when youngster Mark Hanratty did well to get a cross away after good work up the left under pressure from Billy Joe Burns. O’Neill flapped at it before the ball broke to Jamie Wynne. He unselfishly squared to Lotefa whose effort was turned around the post by O’Neill.
McCarey then made a fine double save with eight minutes to from Salou Jallow to ensure the victory for Dundalk.
CRUSADERS: O’Neill; Dummigan (Forsyth 67), Beverland, Hegarty, Ruddy; Hale; McElroy, McGinley, Mathieson (Jallow 67), Burns; Cushley.
DUNDALK: McCarey; Hoare, Gartland, Massey; Dogan, Murray (Kilkenny 55), Flores, Lotefa, Smith (Hanratty HT), D Kelly (Wynne 66); Hoban.
AS the new SSE Airtricity League season gets underway this weekend, there is much more to play for than just the title.
Dundalk will be aiming to make it six Premier Division wins in seven seasons this year but winning the league this season could well prove to be the most important of the lot.
That’s because next season the new Europa League 2 will come into play.
That means that as well as qualifying for the Champions League, there will be an increased chance of qualifying for the group stages of the new tournament with more realistic cash rewards available as a result.
That will matter little to Vinny Perth and his players in the short term, of course.
They will want to extend their reign as the country’s top team regardless of what lies ahead and they looked best placed to do so.
While Robbie Benson and Jamie McGrath are undoubtedly losses, Perth has added well to his ranks in the off-season with Will Patching, Cammy Smith and Stefan Colovic adding real attacking options, Greg Sloggett providing a useful option in midfield and Darragh Leahy bringing about a new and renewed challenge Dane Massey.
There is every possibility that further additions could be made between now and the transfer deadline on February 22nd but once again Dundalk look the best equipped to challenge for the title.
Buoyed by their FAI Cup final success last November, Shamrock Rovers will once again be the main challengers you would imagine.
While Rhys Marshall and Liam Scales are useful additions in defence, crucially Stephen Bradley’s side have failed to add the striker many feel they need to really push Dundalk.
While on their day Rovers are as good as anyone in the country, their failure to win eight matches at home last season ultimately proved costly.
While Dundalk would have undoubtedly liked to have added to their striking options as well, there is still a real feeling that in Pat Hoban and Georgie Kelly they have the two best marksmen in the league at their disposal.
If the injury problems of last season can be avoided and a better start obtained then it’s difficult to see anyone being able to catch Dundalk given this side’s ability to put a run of results together when the going gets tough.
That said, the league overall for should be more competitive this season.
Newly-promoted Shelbourne will be much stronger than a UCD side who were cannon fodder for a lot of teams in the second half of last season.
Bohemians and Derry City will once again be formidable opposition while former Lilywhites skipper Stephen O’Donnell will be hoping St Patrick’s Athletic are a tougher opponent as well.
Even teams that were expected to struggle not that long ago such as Finn Harps and Waterford have made a few quality additions to their ranks as the season comes around.
With Dundalk’s back four as solid as ever, new options in midfield and a combination of injury and contract worries hopefully a thing of the past for the likes of Patrick McEleney and Hoban, there’s real hope this could be another memorable season for Dundalk supporters.
Should they win the league this season, it will be title number 15 - just two off Rovers’ record. If that happens there will be very real talk of knocking them off their perch.
That’s a very real goal if Perth and co can keep building on their success year on year.
Certainly for 2020, they look the team to beat.