A BRACE FROM the effervescent Daryl Horgan saw Dundalk make it two wins from two against the 2013 champions who ended yet another game with 10 men after Kenny Browne saw yellow twice in the first half.
While Christy Fagan’s return after a six week layoff with a knee injury was creating a real buzz around Richmond Park, the naming of midfield enforcer James Chambers at right-back, in place of the injured Ger O’Brien, was probably causing some slight concern.
The hosts got off to a bright start and had the better chances in the opening ten minutes. A 20-yard Christy Fagan belter was deflected wide by Andy Boyle while Aaron Greene’s swerving effort pinged from the edge of the box produced a good Gary Rogers save.
The first half was a real white-knuckle ride and as it wore on the visitors had more and more of the ball, pinning the Dubliners into their own half, while Horgan began to expose Chambers’ deficiencies in the role of right-back.
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With almost 30 minutes on the clock Browne was booked for a bad tackle on John Mountney after the defender coughed up possession cheaply 35 yards from goal. Mountney managed to get the ball to David McMillan and the striker played it into the path of the charging Horgan who dinked it past Brendan Clarke.
Seven minutes later Browne was dismissed when he was left on his backside by Richie Towell who glided past before the centre-half cynically grabbed his legs. As soon as the ball went dead, Browne received his second yellow.
It was hard to see what kind of adjustments Liam Buckley could make or what kind of half-time message he could deliver to make his team’s uphill task just a little bit easier but he did have to sacrifice Chris Forrester for Jason McGuinness before the break.
Christy Fagan pushed one slightly wide in the opening exchanges of the second half but it wasn’t long before the thorn of Horgan was jabbing Chambers’s side yet again.
There was a seven-minute period midway through the half in which Horgan produced three superb efforts on target but unfortunately for the home keeper Clarke, he could only save two.
The middle effort came from some nice passing between Ronan Finn and Dane Massey on the edge of the area and when the latter teed it up, Horgan side footed a sweet shot with his right foot inside Clarke’s near post to double the lead just after the hour mark.
The Saints had three decent chances before full-time to claw something back. Sean Hoare’s 35-yard effort was saved well by Rogers before the defender crossed to Killian Brennan for a header straight at the Dundalk keeper.
The best save came with just five minutes left to play when Jason McGuinness headed a Brennan corner at goal and as the ball looked to be dipping under the bar, Rogers scooped it over.
Dundalk have effectively ended Pat's title chances (if they weren't already dead)
St Patrick’s Athletic 0
Dundalk 2
A BRACE FROM the effervescent Daryl Horgan saw Dundalk make it two wins from two against the 2013 champions who ended yet another game with 10 men after Kenny Browne saw yellow twice in the first half.
While Christy Fagan’s return after a six week layoff with a knee injury was creating a real buzz around Richmond Park, the naming of midfield enforcer James Chambers at right-back, in place of the injured Ger O’Brien, was probably causing some slight concern.
The hosts got off to a bright start and had the better chances in the opening ten minutes. A 20-yard Christy Fagan belter was deflected wide by Andy Boyle while Aaron Greene’s swerving effort pinged from the edge of the box produced a good Gary Rogers save.
The first half was a real white-knuckle ride and as it wore on the visitors had more and more of the ball, pinning the Dubliners into their own half, while Horgan began to expose Chambers’ deficiencies in the role of right-back.
With almost 30 minutes on the clock Browne was booked for a bad tackle on John Mountney after the defender coughed up possession cheaply 35 yards from goal. Mountney managed to get the ball to David McMillan and the striker played it into the path of the charging Horgan who dinked it past Brendan Clarke.
Seven minutes later Browne was dismissed when he was left on his backside by Richie Towell who glided past before the centre-half cynically grabbed his legs. As soon as the ball went dead, Browne received his second yellow.
It was hard to see what kind of adjustments Liam Buckley could make or what kind of half-time message he could deliver to make his team’s uphill task just a little bit easier but he did have to sacrifice Chris Forrester for Jason McGuinness before the break.
Christy Fagan pushed one slightly wide in the opening exchanges of the second half but it wasn’t long before the thorn of Horgan was jabbing Chambers’s side yet again.
There was a seven-minute period midway through the half in which Horgan produced three superb efforts on target but unfortunately for the home keeper Clarke, he could only save two.
The middle effort came from some nice passing between Ronan Finn and Dane Massey on the edge of the area and when the latter teed it up, Horgan side footed a sweet shot with his right foot inside Clarke’s near post to double the lead just after the hour mark.
The Saints had three decent chances before full-time to claw something back. Sean Hoare’s 35-yard effort was saved well by Rogers before the defender crossed to Killian Brennan for a header straight at the Dundalk keeper.
The best save came with just five minutes left to play when Jason McGuinness headed a Brennan corner at goal and as the ball looked to be dipping under the bar, Rogers scooped it over.
St Patrick’s Athletic: Clarke, Bermingham, Hoare, Browne, Bolger, Byrne, Brennan, Chambers (Desmond 66), Forrester (McGuinness 38), Greene, Fagan (McGrath 66). Substitutes: McGuinness, Langley, Kilduff, O’Malley, McCormack.
Dundalk: Rogers, Gannon, Boyle, Shields, Horgan (Kelly 88), Mountney, McMillan (Byrne 81), Finn (Poynton 90+3_, Massey, Barrett, Towell. Substitutes: Sava, O’Donnell, Grimes, Meenan.
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SSE Airtricity League Premier Division Daryl Horgan Lilywhite on the Night LOI Dundalk