Dundalk 1
St Patrick’s Athletic 2
Niall Newberry reports from Oriel Park
A WEEK OF growing uncertainty for Dundalk ended with The Lilywhites remaining bottom of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division after a 2-1 loss to St Patrick’s Athletic.
In a fixture ladened with subplots, it was 18-year-old Eoin Kenny that opened the scoring early on against a team managed by his father, Stephen, but second-half goals from Tom Grivosti and Mason Melia leaves Dundalk in dire straits with just seven games to play.
An explosive start at Oriel Park saw the hosts take the lead inside two minutes when a long throw-in from Dan Pike was flicked on by Hayden Cann before Kenny headed home.
Seconds after scoring his first league goal for the club, Kenny laid the ball off for Daryl Horgan, who proceeded to fire over from distance as Dundalk looked to defy the odds.
Their chances weren’t helped when goalkeeper Felix Goddard’s poor clearance fell to Brandon Kavanagh, whose attempted lob clipped the post in what was a major let-off.
A hesitant Goddard was nearly caught out again when his delayed reaction to an innocuous Kavanagh ball afforded Aidan Keena the opportunity to try his luck, but to the Dundalk stopper’s credit, he did recover and pushed the forward’s effort around the post.
Another poor clearance from Goddard followed, this time going straight to Keena, but luckily for the Blackburn Rovers loanee, he got back just in time to deny the St Pats man.
At the other end, Ryan O’Kane did well to wriggle himself away from two St Pats adversaries before his attempt was battered away by opposite number Joseph Anang.
After that, Horgan’s corner from the left was directed goalwards by the head of Cann, however Anang gathered safely in what turned out to be an entertaining opening half.
Goddard made a meal of a nothing cross from Jake Mulraney before Andy Boyle hacked away the danger – with many Dundalk fans growing in frustration at their netminder.
He did get down to save well after Jamie Lennon’s shot from distance had taken a wicked deflection off Cann, though, while at the opposite end, the impressive Kenny curled over deep in first-half stoppage-time – capping off a very good 45 minutes for Jon Daly’s side.
However, St Pats would equalise 10 minutes into the second half, with Kavanagh whipping in a free from the left before Joe Redmond – after being found by Anto Breslin – helped it on for Grivosti to produce an acrobatic finish from close range to make it 1-1.
Stephen Kenny’s side almost completed their quickfire comeback moments later, however Mulraney’s curling effort veered a mere inches off the top right-hand corner.
Mulraney was the source for St Pats’ second on 68 minutes, though, when his cross was flicked on by Kavanagh before teenage substitute Melia headed home from close range.
The closest Dundalk came to rescuing a point arrived 20 minutes from time when from a Horgan set-piece, Boyle’s goal-bound effort was hooked off the line by Lennon.
Added to that, The Lilywhites were denied what looked a stonewall penalty in stoppage-time after substitute Dara Keane was upended inside the area by Aaron Bolger.
Dundalk: Felix Goddard; Dan Pike, Andy Boyle, Hayden Cann, John Mountney; Aodh Dervin (Dara Keane 87), Robbie Benson (Jamie Gullan 69); Daryl Horgan, Jad Hakiki (Scott McGill 69), Ryan O’Kane (Norman Garbett 75); Eoin Kenny (Robbie Mahon 75).
St Patrick’s Athletic: Joseph Anang; Axel Sjoberg, Joe Redmond, Tom Grivosti, Anto Breslin; Chris Forrester, Jamie Lennon; Zach Elbouzedi, Brandon Kavanagh (Aaron Bolger 83), Jake Mulraney (Jason McClelland 71); Aidan Keena (Mason Melia 62).
Referee: Damien McGraith
Attendance: 2,267