Dundalk 3
Wexford Youths 2
PATRICK McELENEY’S 93RD-MINUTE goal ensured Dundalk maintained their four-point advantage at the top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division — but they were made to work hard for the victory against Wexford Youths.
The champions fell behind in each half but goals from Daryl Horgan, Darren Meenan and McEleney right at the death mean that Dundalk are now on an eight-match winning streak in the league.
With Cork City having won their seventh straight game earlier in the day, next Friday’s encounter between the two sides could hardly be more of a mouthwatering prospect.
It was a day for returning heroes at Oriel Park. Gary Rogers resumed duties between the posts after joining up with the Republic of Ireland squad for Friday’s friendly game with the Netherlands.
The roar for him pre-match was loud, but even it paled in comparison to the reception afforded to another Dundalk hero at half-time. Richie Towell took to the field to accept his awards for the club’s Player of the Year and Top Goalscorer in 2015, making a stop-off in Louth after his play-off exertions with Brighton.
On his return, he witnessed the Lilywhites fall behind to a shock 12th-minute goal. In the absence of Danny Furlong, Paul Murphy was leading the Youths’ attack and he found himself in acres of space in the middle of the park before advancing and letting fly from 25 yards. The ball squirmed under Rogers, who may have done better.
Rogers denied John Bonner and then David McMillan twice went close before the home side got their leveller. Ronan Finn sent in a cross from the right and when McMillan’s header was partially blocked, it fell into the onrushing Horgan’s path. The winger sidefooted home.
Shane Keegan’s outfit were proving obdurate opposition. They weren’t there merely to pay the champions respect and their tenacity paid off when they regained the lead after half-time.
A Youths attack appeared to have ended when Meenan picked up the ball on the right, but he was brushed off it all too easily. Eric Molloy strode into the area and beat Rogers with a low shot at the near post.
Dundalk sought a route back into the game and that came 14 minutes from time. Meenan made amends for his part in Wexford’s second when his corner from the left went over Doyle and straight in.
The winner came from another substitute three minutes into stoppage time. Making his first appearance in five weeks, McEleney slotted the ball past Doyle as Oriel Park erupted.
Dundalk: Gary Rogers, Sean Gannon (Stephen O’Donnell, 74), Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey, Chris Shields, Robbie Benson (Patrick McEleney, 64), John Mountney (Darren Meenan, 46), Ronan Finn, Daryl Horgan, David McMillan.
Wexford Youths: Graham Doyle, Craig McCabe, Stephen Last, Ryan Delaney, Aidan Friel, Chris Kenny, John Bonner, Shane Dunne (Danny Furlong, 88), Eric Molloy, Andrew Mulligan, Paul Murphy (Gary Delaney, 89).
Referee: Neil Doyle (Dublin)
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I’m not a huge fan of the tap penalty, would lineout and maul not yield greater returns?
@brian o’leary: no guarantee you’ll win the lineout, that the other team won’t sack the maul etc. Tap penalty is the safest option to guarantee possession
@Niall Boyle: correct, but I wonder if there’s any stats available comparing the success rate of the two options?
@brian o’leary: scrum for me all day in that situation. Huge scrummaging machine pushes opposition pack backwards, secures another penalty, play of 8 around the house or 9 to the backline through one or two power phases..a thing of beauty…
@Stuart: ireland got a try from a 5 metre scrum, and two from lineout mauls v italy. We’re not converting from rucks inside 5m as much as we used to, getting held up a lot?
@brian o’leary: I’m still very in the fence about the held up law. It may because it feels like Ireland and Leinster get done by it a lot, which is maybe just my own perception, but it feels way too heavily weighted towards the defence. The attack could put together 5 or 6 great pieces of play to get themselves there and then one guy just needs to do one action to get his body under it and it undoes all of the hard attacking work and sticks you 30/40m back. That feels bad every time.
@Stuart: ireland have a poor record with ref’s and scrum penalties. If the opposition tighthead took a chainsaw to our frontrow the ref would give a penalty against porter for bleeding
Easterby’s best shot at being a 6n’s head coach permanently is with Wales. I think the IRFU will have noticed that the team has got progressively worse over the course of the championship under his watch. Is it all down to Easterby being there instead of Faz, possibly not but as an audition it definitely didn’t go well.
@Michael Corkery: maybe they’ll notice that being without their head coach for a period might not be the best idea, and will say no the next time?
@brian o’leary: Agreed. I think IRFU were wrong to sanction AF going off on Lions jolly at this time when Ireland were going for the 3 championships in a row and building towards WC….he is head coach and this is where he should be…end of. Coaching team need to look at their selection management over the entire 6n campaign.
@Dolores Scully: If the IRFU refused to sanction Farrell coaching the Lions, im pretty sure it wouldnt go down too well with Farrell.
@Jonny Miller: when will they get another chance to do 3 in a row?
Farrell should stay on his holidays if he is not committed.
@Jonny Miller:our coach could be told pre contract that its not an option?
I’m not sure why lions coach need to miss the six nations, he going to be familiar with all the players anyway, and stats can do the rest?
@brian o’leary: at the same time, in terms of succession planning, they got a look at the next man in potentially mid RWC cycle. They should have brought someone like Felix Jones in to concentrate on defense and basically have Easterby do the exact same role as Farrell but he kept his defensive role (which as a result of his attention being elsewhere fell well below the usual standard). For example if Easterby had left, wasn’t replaced and Farrell had to cover defense in his absence. Would we have seen similar regression?
@Dolores Scully: I don’t understand why AF didn’t coach the Irish side during the 6nts ..sat in the stands ? The lions squad are not even together yet…surely the lions gig is at mostly a part time gig at the moment with the administrational/planning stuff?
@Dolores Scully: Building towards a world cup. Same story every year
@Dolores Scully: rubbish there’s November series 25 &26, six nations 26 & 27 and a summer tour in 26 for Andy Farrell to be assessing options before the world cup.
@Oran Burns: maybe our best ever coach and you don’t think he’s committed?
@mark sheehan: well if you want to look at it like that the WC is a 4-year cycle and surely not getting past the quarter final should mean that building/ planning should start straight away. Also, as previously stated here, the 6n is worth a hell of a lot financially to the IRFU…needed to build the squad. And no, as head coach, the team should be front and centre…or is it another case of Sexton’s ” we lost but we won” rubbish.