DUNDALK MOVED FOUR points clear at the summit of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division as they squeezed past Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Friday night.
The champions controlled matters for long periods with Brian Gartland justifying their dominance in the opening half with a thundering finish from a John Mountney corner.
Mountney’s deflected free-kick doubled their lead after the break before Kurtis Byrne pulled one back for the host’s with a volley.
Bohs grew into the game in the second half and pushed for a late leveller but couldn’t find the goal they craved.
Keith Long named the same starting line-up that overcame St Pat’s with Byrne once again leading the line in the absence of Ismahil Akinade.
Gary Rogers started for Dundalk after he was released from the Ireland squad ahead of Monday’s World Cup qualifier in Serbia.
Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
It was his opposing number one who was called into action early on though as the league leaders looked to set the tempo. Dane Massey chipped a ball down the inside left channel to Dave McMillan who skipped past Derek Prendergast before bringing a smart stop out of Shane Supple who got down well to save at his near post.
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Prendergast almost rectified his mistake moments later as he forced Rogers to parry wide from a header before the Bohs defender volleyed well over from the resulting corner.
Massey almost curled in a free-kick on 20 minutes when Dean O’ Halloran fouled Mountney on the edge of the area, with Massey’s effort rebounding back off the post to the waiting McMillan who just couldn’t turn his effort on target after the ball came to him at pace.
The opener was coming and the Lilywhites did eventually find the net on 25 minutes.
Mountney whipped in a corner to Gartland who volleyed an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net to give the visitors a deserved lead.
Massey fired just over and then Gartland should’ve had his second seven minutes before the break when he was found completely unmarked six yards out but headed wide.
Dundalk continued to dominate with Supple making a magnificent double save from McEleney and McMillan just before the break.
Tommy Dickson / INPHO
Tommy Dickson / INPHO / INPHO
The second half sprung into life on 63 minutes when a rash challenge from Prendergast on Stephen O’Donnell 30 yards out allowed Mountney to line-up a free-kick.
The Mayo man launched a speculative effort which took a deflection and went into the bottom corner, with Supple powerless to stop.
Bohs responded well though as substitute Jake Kelly forced a save from Rogers and then the in-form Byrne halved the deficit with a looping volley that crept into the top corner.
The Gypsies searched for an equaliser late on as Dan Byrne had appeals for a penalty waved away and then his namesake Kurtis curled just wide after he latched onto a Keith Buckley cutback.
But they couldn’t level matters as their four game unbeaten run in the league came to an end with Dundalk inching that bit closer to retaining their crown.
BOHEMIANS: Shane Supple; Dylan Hayes, Derek Prendergast, Dan Byrne, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Paddy Kavanagh, Roberto Lopes, Eoin Wearen, Keith Buckley, Dean O’ Halloran (Jake Kelly, 61); Kurtis Byrne.
DUNDALK: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Daryl Horgan, John Mountney (Ciaran O’Connor, 84), Stephen O’Donnell, Ronan Finn, Patrick McEleney (Chris Shields 67); Dave McMillan (Dean Shiels, 87).
Referee: James McKell
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Dundalk hold firm at the death to squeeze past Bohs and open up four-point lead
Bohemians 1
Dundalk 2
DUNDALK MOVED FOUR points clear at the summit of the SSE Airtricity Premier Division as they squeezed past Bohemians at Dalymount Park on Friday night.
The champions controlled matters for long periods with Brian Gartland justifying their dominance in the opening half with a thundering finish from a John Mountney corner.
Mountney’s deflected free-kick doubled their lead after the break before Kurtis Byrne pulled one back for the host’s with a volley.
Bohs grew into the game in the second half and pushed for a late leveller but couldn’t find the goal they craved.
Keith Long named the same starting line-up that overcame St Pat’s with Byrne once again leading the line in the absence of Ismahil Akinade.
Gary Rogers started for Dundalk after he was released from the Ireland squad ahead of Monday’s World Cup qualifier in Serbia.
It was his opposing number one who was called into action early on though as the league leaders looked to set the tempo. Dane Massey chipped a ball down the inside left channel to Dave McMillan who skipped past Derek Prendergast before bringing a smart stop out of Shane Supple who got down well to save at his near post.
Prendergast almost rectified his mistake moments later as he forced Rogers to parry wide from a header before the Bohs defender volleyed well over from the resulting corner.
Massey almost curled in a free-kick on 20 minutes when Dean O’ Halloran fouled Mountney on the edge of the area, with Massey’s effort rebounding back off the post to the waiting McMillan who just couldn’t turn his effort on target after the ball came to him at pace.
The opener was coming and the Lilywhites did eventually find the net on 25 minutes.
Mountney whipped in a corner to Gartland who volleyed an unstoppable effort into the roof of the net to give the visitors a deserved lead.
Massey fired just over and then Gartland should’ve had his second seven minutes before the break when he was found completely unmarked six yards out but headed wide.
Dundalk continued to dominate with Supple making a magnificent double save from McEleney and McMillan just before the break.
The second half sprung into life on 63 minutes when a rash challenge from Prendergast on Stephen O’Donnell 30 yards out allowed Mountney to line-up a free-kick.
The Mayo man launched a speculative effort which took a deflection and went into the bottom corner, with Supple powerless to stop.
Bohs responded well though as substitute Jake Kelly forced a save from Rogers and then the in-form Byrne halved the deficit with a looping volley that crept into the top corner.
The Gypsies searched for an equaliser late on as Dan Byrne had appeals for a penalty waved away and then his namesake Kurtis curled just wide after he latched onto a Keith Buckley cutback.
But they couldn’t level matters as their four game unbeaten run in the league came to an end with Dundalk inching that bit closer to retaining their crown.
BOHEMIANS: Shane Supple; Dylan Hayes, Derek Prendergast, Dan Byrne, Lorcan Fitzgerald; Paddy Kavanagh, Roberto Lopes, Eoin Wearen, Keith Buckley, Dean O’ Halloran (Jake Kelly, 61); Kurtis Byrne.
DUNDALK: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Daryl Horgan, John Mountney (Ciaran O’Connor, 84), Stephen O’Donnell, Ronan Finn, Patrick McEleney (Chris Shields 67); Dave McMillan (Dean Shiels, 87).
Referee: James McKell
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