Dundalk feel the heat as they grind out win
DUNDALK were left sweating in the searing heat at Oriel Park yesterday as they held out for a win that should have been more comfortable against a battling Finn Harps.
David McMillan’s 33rd minute strike proved crucial in the end as Vinny Perth’s side moved up to sixth place in the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division table, three points off fourth placed Bohemians, albeit with a game more played.
On the back of their Europa Conference League victory away to Newtown on Tuesday, the home side bossed proceedings in the first half but never really got going in the second as Ollie
Horgan’s men threatened an upset. In the end the Co Louth men held out for the victory as Harps went down to a third defeat in a row with just a single point to show from the last 18 on offer for them.
It was one-way traffic in the first half with the home side having a big early chance on four minutes when midfielder Daniel Kelly found space on the right to pull back to Will Patching who blazed over from close range.
Sonni Nattestad should have broken the deadlock 15 minutes later when he was picked out virtually unmarked six yards out by a brilliant Patrick McEleney pass, but somehow the Faroese centre half managed to steer his effort wide.
Raivis Jurkovskis and McMillan would also go close on a couple of occasions after that chance before playing a big part in the breakthrough on 33 minutes.
McEleney did well to release Jurkovskis on the right. The Latvian international saw his shot saved by Mark McGinley but the goalkeeper was unable to hold it with the loose ball falling invitingly to McMillan to bundle home his 90th goal in Dundalk colours from four yards out.
Harps improved in the second half but despite half chances for Dan Hawkins and Adam Foley they were unable to really test Alessio Abibi. The 24-year-old Albanian stopper kept his third clean sheet in a row.