24th October - eircom League Division One
by Daniel McDonnell at Oriel Park
David Hoey 90
Trevor Vaughan 20
John Lester 30
When Dundalk play badly, and you write a report some time after the event, it's best to keep things brief. No need to dwell on performances like this - just look ahead to the future. But let's get one thing clear, this was a performance of such inadequacy, that on a scale of crapness it supercedes all previously bad Division One performances, and was actually comparitively worse than the prospect of an evening watching Supermarket Sweep re-runs.
This is a highly celebrated Dundalk side. You look around the park and you see players who won FAI Cup winners medals just six months ago, yet they were comprehensively outplayed by Monaghan. That's the downside about winning the FAI Cup for this squad. They will always be judged on that performance. People say this Dundalk squad isn't good enough - they need new players. Yet the attacking six from that day, Lawless, Flanagan, Hoey, Kavanagh, Reilly and Haylock all played some part against Monaghan - and couldn't beat them. The only addition in that area, David Ward, was Dundalk's best player going forward by far. Why the malaise? Where is the ambition to get back to the levels they reached last April?
On a night when the crowd was good, and the incentive to impress the new manager was there, Dundalk flopped. Just didn't threaten. Monaghan goals, quite simple really. Free kick blocked, Vaughan converts rebound. Another free kick by Lester curled into the top corner. 2-0, and already the game was looking over. Earlier in the season, most notably in the game against Cobh, the visitors took the lead and shortly afterwards missed a sitter. This wasn't a manager thing - Dundalk just got lucky on that occasion. This time, they didn't.
The manager made changes - slightly confusing to some. Webb for Reilly, with Ward going up front shortly into the second half. Webb looks like a fit player, and with the emphasis on fitness in training, it's quite plausible that Webb made an impression in this department in comparison with some of the more fuller members of the squad. It's a shame that his ball control seems to be lacking, or at times, non existent. More of a left back than a left winger perhaps, and with Robbie Brunton playing poorly at the moment, there's every chance he could be used there.
Ward, as usual, looked dangerous when he got into gear, but not often enough on this occasion. The defence often looked shaky, and needed Dempsey to save them more than once. The midfield failed to get a grip on the game, and the decision to replace Lawless, only months ago the great hero of the side, with Flanagan was widely cheered.
However, despite the changes, Dundalk just could not get going. It wasn't happening, despite vocal encouragement from the sidelines. Never even looked like threatening. At one stage, Monaghan exchanged six or seven short passes around the centre circle unchallenged. Truly laughable, or more to the point, embarrassing.
In the last minute, David Hoey scored a goal of beauty, and without meaning to be insulting to David, showed a calmness and quality on the ball that was sadly lacking from the rest of his display during the ninety minutes. And a side you really wish he would show more often, as he is quite capable of producing brilliant moments. Harmless looking ball cleared to the edge of the box, chested it down and volleyed from twenty yards into the corner of the net. Poetry in motion. Just a shame most of the crowd had left by then.
Dundalk nearly grabbed a goal in injury time which would have been a total scandal, but alas it was a case of too little, too late. Where was that urgency at 2-0? Another question which must be answered?
Anderson showed his feelings on the display by locking the players in the dressing room for some time after the display. They were then sent into the bar to face some pretty unhappy customers. During the match one punter screamed out if they had any pride in the jersey, and Donal Broughan replied that they did. That attitude will have to start to pervade throughout the team, right through from senior figures like Anderson and Broughan to younger players who badly need the encouragement.
This is a level that Dundalk simply must not sink to ever again. It was the worst, the absolute pits. A return to that level of performance could have disastrous consequences as the season develops.
Possibly, a motivation not to repeat that display could drive Dundalk on for the rest of the campaign. Maybe this game will be the landmark night. When Anderson realises the problems he faces, and what changes need to be made. A turning point, a crossroads for the careers of some players. Here's hoping.
1 Mick Dempsey 6
Overly busy on the evening
2 Chris Malone 4
Not good
3 Robbie Brunton 4
Not good
4 Donal Broughan 5
Not good, not the worst
5 Bryan McCrystal 4
Not good
6 Ciaran Kavanagh 5
Not good - if you want a variation, stick it in some of language translation thing.
7 David Hoey 5
Not good - but goal was good
8 Chris Lawless 4
New number, still not good
9 Gary Haylock 4
Not good
10 Martin Reilly 4
Refer to number 8
11 David Ward 6
Not the worst
SUBS
14 Mark Webb 4 for Reilly
Really not good at all
12 John Flanagan..for Lawless
Not on long enough to be not good