The Dundalk players celebrate with the league trophy in the dressing room. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
DUNDALK FINALLY GOT their hands on the 2015 SSE Airtricity League trophy at Oriel Park as a 4-0 win over Bray Wanderers suitably brought a record-breaking season to an end. Early goals from Ciaran Kilduff and Daryl Horgan set the champions on their way, before a late brace from Richie Towell sealed the victory.
It was fitting that Towell — Dundalk’s standout performer in another all-conquering campaign — scored their fourth just prior to the final whistle. It was Dundalk’s 78th league goal in 2015 — beating Shamrock Rovers’ record of 77 which has stood for 92 years.
Stephen Kenny’s programme notes ahead of the Oriel Park swansong for this season concentrated on the style in which his side have gone about their title defence. It is the overall quality of this side — not the winning itself — that has resonated with supporters and the wider public, he wrote.
Michael Barker of Bray Wanderers in pursuit of Dundalk's Sean Gannon. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
It says much about quite how this team have gone about their work over the past two seasons that Kenny can make that statement, given that in eight days’ time, he will bring his players to the Aviva Stadium hoping to add an FAI Cup to two league titles, an EA Sports Cup and a Leinster Senior Cup win in just over 12 months.
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Dundalk face Cork at the showpiece final and you could have been forgiven for thinking it was the Leesiders who were lining up as the opposition at Oriel Park on the league’s final day. Bray wear the very same green shirt with a white stripe running down its right side. That was where the similarity ended.
The league’s runners-up will present a much stiffer test at Lansdowne Road. Here, the party was already in full swing before Kilduff’s early opener. By then, the feeling was just getting sweeter for the majority of the 3,419 packed in on the Carrick Road.
Dundalk's Ciaran Kilduff celebrates scoring the first goal of the game. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Exactly one year ago, Peter Cherrie kept a clean sheet on this ground as Dundalk beat Cork to the title. This time, with the Bray goalkeeper now tasked with shutting the Lilywhites out, things didn’t go so well.
There were just three minutes on the clock when Dundalk hit the front. Daryl Horgan turned in-field and curled a superb ball out to Darren Meenan on the right-hand side. The winger advanced but decided not to shoot, instead squaring for Kilduff to score from close-range.
With under ten minutes on the clock, a repeat of the 8-1 thrashing Dundalk handed to the Seagulls on their last visit looked very much on the cards. Amidst a crowd of players, Ronan Finn slipped in Daryl Horgan in the penalty area. It looked as if Horgan could make nothing of it but Wanderers left back Michael Barker failed to deal with the ball and the winger nipped in to toe-poke beyond Cherrie.
Dundalk's Chris Shields challenges Graham Kelly of Bray Wanderers. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
The stopper did well to save Darren Meenan’s effort with his legs when the winger was clean through as the home side pressed for a third in the first half. The closest Bray came was when Hugh Douglas beat Gary Rogers to a high ball into the area and with the ball heading goalwards, it took the retreating Andy Boyle to deny the visitors a route back into the game.
Horgan and Dane Massey had chances too shortly after the break and Towell looked like a man who was quite intent on getting in on the goalscoring act. He would eventually add to his 23 league goals to cap an incredible campaign. Fans will hope that the mercurial midfielder remains for next year’s ‘three in a row’ bid.
Referee Paul McLaughlin pointed to the spot when ex-Lilywhite John Sullivan tripped David McMillan in the area and Towell put his penalty low past the goalkeeper. Despite Cherrie making two stunning saves to deny McMillan, the record was Dundalk’s. Towell broke the offside trap to sidefoot past old friend Cherrie and end the season in perfect fashion.
The Dundalk players kick off the celebrations. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Dundalk: Gary Rogers, Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey, Stephen O’Donnell (Chris Shields, 24), Richie Towell, Darren Meenan, Ronan Finn (John Mountney, 61), Daryl Horgan, Ciaran Kilduff (David McMillan, 71).
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie, Michael Barker, Hugh Douglas, Alan McNally, Niall Cooney, Luke Fitzpatrick (John O’Sullivan, 46), Ryan McEvoy, Adam Hanlon, Graham Kelly, Adam Wixted (David Cassidy, 46), Chris Lyons (Dave Scully, 64).
Dundalk sign off by breaking a 92-year-old League of Ireland record
Dundalk 4
Bray Wanderers 0
DUNDALK FINALLY GOT their hands on the 2015 SSE Airtricity League trophy at Oriel Park as a 4-0 win over Bray Wanderers suitably brought a record-breaking season to an end. Early goals from Ciaran Kilduff and Daryl Horgan set the champions on their way, before a late brace from Richie Towell sealed the victory.
It was fitting that Towell — Dundalk’s standout performer in another all-conquering campaign — scored their fourth just prior to the final whistle. It was Dundalk’s 78th league goal in 2015 — beating Shamrock Rovers’ record of 77 which has stood for 92 years.
Stephen Kenny’s programme notes ahead of the Oriel Park swansong for this season concentrated on the style in which his side have gone about their title defence. It is the overall quality of this side — not the winning itself — that has resonated with supporters and the wider public, he wrote.
It says much about quite how this team have gone about their work over the past two seasons that Kenny can make that statement, given that in eight days’ time, he will bring his players to the Aviva Stadium hoping to add an FAI Cup to two league titles, an EA Sports Cup and a Leinster Senior Cup win in just over 12 months.
Dundalk face Cork at the showpiece final and you could have been forgiven for thinking it was the Leesiders who were lining up as the opposition at Oriel Park on the league’s final day. Bray wear the very same green shirt with a white stripe running down its right side. That was where the similarity ended.
The league’s runners-up will present a much stiffer test at Lansdowne Road. Here, the party was already in full swing before Kilduff’s early opener. By then, the feeling was just getting sweeter for the majority of the 3,419 packed in on the Carrick Road.
Exactly one year ago, Peter Cherrie kept a clean sheet on this ground as Dundalk beat Cork to the title. This time, with the Bray goalkeeper now tasked with shutting the Lilywhites out, things didn’t go so well.
There were just three minutes on the clock when Dundalk hit the front. Daryl Horgan turned in-field and curled a superb ball out to Darren Meenan on the right-hand side. The winger advanced but decided not to shoot, instead squaring for Kilduff to score from close-range.
With under ten minutes on the clock, a repeat of the 8-1 thrashing Dundalk handed to the Seagulls on their last visit looked very much on the cards. Amidst a crowd of players, Ronan Finn slipped in Daryl Horgan in the penalty area. It looked as if Horgan could make nothing of it but Wanderers left back Michael Barker failed to deal with the ball and the winger nipped in to toe-poke beyond Cherrie.
The stopper did well to save Darren Meenan’s effort with his legs when the winger was clean through as the home side pressed for a third in the first half. The closest Bray came was when Hugh Douglas beat Gary Rogers to a high ball into the area and with the ball heading goalwards, it took the retreating Andy Boyle to deny the visitors a route back into the game.
Horgan and Dane Massey had chances too shortly after the break and Towell looked like a man who was quite intent on getting in on the goalscoring act. He would eventually add to his 23 league goals to cap an incredible campaign. Fans will hope that the mercurial midfielder remains for next year’s ‘three in a row’ bid.
Referee Paul McLaughlin pointed to the spot when ex-Lilywhite John Sullivan tripped David McMillan in the area and Towell put his penalty low past the goalkeeper. Despite Cherrie making two stunning saves to deny McMillan, the record was Dundalk’s. Towell broke the offside trap to sidefoot past old friend Cherrie and end the season in perfect fashion.
Dundalk: Gary Rogers, Sean Gannon, Brian Gartland, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey, Stephen O’Donnell (Chris Shields, 24), Richie Towell, Darren Meenan, Ronan Finn (John Mountney, 61), Daryl Horgan, Ciaran Kilduff (David McMillan, 71).
Bray Wanderers: Peter Cherrie, Michael Barker, Hugh Douglas, Alan McNally, Niall Cooney, Luke Fitzpatrick (John O’Sullivan, 46), Ryan McEvoy, Adam Hanlon, Graham Kelly, Adam Wixted (David Cassidy, 46), Chris Lyons (Dave Scully, 64).
Referee: Paul McLaughlin
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