A TV damp squib fails to fire up

Mcgrath all scored in the first-half to easily snuff out the Linfield challenge on a freezing night in front of 2,412 spectators. While proposals for a united league are dead in the water for now, the return of a Setanta Cup-styled competition remains a strong possibility. Robbie Benson put Dundalk 4-0 up in the 65th minute and chants from the home fans of ‘Can we play you every week’ was just rubbing salt in the wounds. So too was Georgie Kelly’s second of the night with 15 minutes to play and then Pat Hoban’s header in the dying stages.

It was a convincing Dundalk win, but Blues boss David Healy had made it clear that his priority is closing the gap on Coleraine rather than road-testing all-island possibilities.

Vinny Perth’s charges were ahead after just seven minutes.

Michael Duffy beat Josh Robinson and whipped in a cross from the left which Daniel Kelly snatched at, but Kelly was on hand to turn home.

And Linfield were reeling again nine minutes later when the League of Ireland champions doubled their lead.

Gartland bulleted home a header from Duffy’s corner, with scorer and creator reacting to visiting fans’ taunts as they wheeled away in celebration.

It was curtains for David Healy’s men 10 minutes before the break when Mcgrath beat Linfield keeper Rohan Ferguson with a low shot into the corner from distance.

Linfield refused to let their heads drop and dominated the opening stages of the second half and Jamie Mulgrew forced Aaron Mccarey into a decent save at full stretch.

But if anything, it woke Dundalk from a brief lull and it wasn’t long before they were dictating the pace again.

Kelly’s overhead kick from the edge of the box had Ferguson scrambling before Benson brought the curtain down on his Oriel Park stay in style.

On the verge of signing for St Pat’s, he raced onto a punt forward and beat Stephen Fallon for pace before angling the ball to the corner.

And Dundalk were not finished there as Kelly bagged his second with 15 minutes to play while Hoban, off the bench, scored with a header late on.

GEORGIE BEST Georgie Kelly puts Dundalk in front at Oriel Park last night in the 6-0 rout of Linfield Gartland puts Dundalk two in front at Oriel Park last night

TOP OF THE FLOPS Martin Donnelly and Michael Ruddy LEAST said about this damp squib the better as Larne and Crusaders played out a dreary scoreless draw at a rain soaked Inver Park. Goalmouth action was at a premium in front of the Sky Sports cameras as the Crues suffered a fifth league game without a win to fall further off the title pace. Paul Heatley volleyed a couple of yards wide for the visitors in the 32nd minute, while Davy Mcdaid swept an angled shot harmlessly wide at the other. Larne keeper Conor Devlin smothered a Declan Caddell header at the start of the second period, while Gerard Doherty did the same to snuff out Mcdaid on the hour mark. Baxter introduced Jordan Owens and David Cushley to the fray in the 73rd minute and both were inches were away from getting on the end of a Jordan Forsythe cross soon after. Larne had a late penalty appeal turned away when Johnny Mcmurray’s close range shot appeared to strike Billy Joe Burns’ flailing arm inside the area. A share of the spoils keeps Tiernan Lynch’s men sixth in the table, seven points below fifth-placed Glentoran with a game in hand and four clear of Ballymena.