EIRCOM LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

22nd April

Home Farm 1

CATHAL O CONNOR

Dundalk 2

ANTO REILLY

DAVID CRAWLEY [PEN]

Drama has been Dundalks speciality this season. Certainly, they haven't done anything the easy way. For a long time in Whitehall it looked like Dundalk were going to spectacularly shoot themselves in the foot for the fifth game running. Yet a late David Crawley ensured everything will be decided in the court on Tuesday. Kilkennys 3-1 win in Monaghan means it was a bad night for the FAI. The playoffs have been rescheduled for next Thursday and Saturday, they fear something will happen in court on Tuesday. The celebrations hear were jubliant, in comparison with the reported muted Kilkenny celebration in Monaghan.

Much of the talk in the build up to this game was on off the field matters. Complacency was the main threat to Dundalk winning this game, and for the first half Dundalk were woefully complacent. The impressive Robert Coombes came in for his debut on the right side of midfield with Paddy Quinn taking the place of suspended John Whyte at right full. John Reid made his competitive debut, excluding the Leinster Senior Cup alongside Noel Melvin in the heart of defence. He looked shaky and the indecision in the defence led to Home Farms opening goal on 11 minutes. Two Dundalk defenders went for a harmless cross. They both failed to clear and the ball fell to Cathal O Connor who blasted past Connolly from eight yards for a simple goal.

The goal was sandwiched between two chances for Tony Izzi. The first came after 30 seconds when on the bumpy pitch Whelan fumbled a hopeful cross almost into the path of Izzi but he could not get a foot on it. On 20 minutes the Italian was foiled again by Whelan after chesting down a Crawley cross and trying to shoot past him from six yards. Izzi was having a difficult first half. He wasn't completely fit and was strapped up and being kicked about by Kevin Brady did not help. He was booked for diving when he had reasonable claims for a penalty. It was not to be his day and in a brave move by Eviston was replaced by Reilly at half time. Izzis injury may have had something to do with it but at the time surprise was expressed at the decision. Thankfully Reilly made a lasting vital impression.Newcomer Coombes could easily have had a goal when he tried to lob the out of position Whelan from 20 yards but the keeper made a great save. Ward was lively but the ball would not fall for him inside the area. The midfield pair of Flanagan and Hoey tried hard but showed no composure on the ball and often hit the ball into nowhere when a simple pass was on. There was no one in the centre of the park to take the ball down and play the game at Dundalks pace.

It was crucial that Dundalk scored in the first fifteen minutes of the second half to stop panic from setting in. That happened courtesy of Reilly. He nearly got in two minutes previous when released by Ward but the pass was too far ahead of him. The same pair combined for the crucial equaliser. It came about after a Home Farm cross came to David Crawley who released the ball upfield. Morrisroe won a vital header and flicked the ball onto Ward who took the ball on a stride or two before sending a pass across the pitch into the path of Reilly who at first looked to have let the ball get away from him but he was in control and composed himself before firing past Whelan for the equaliser. This calmed Dundalk down somewhat and now all it needed was one good chance to be put away. Reilly and Ward nearly got away more than once but the offside trap caught them out. A hopeful Morrisroe shot sensationally bounced in front of Whelan and went over the bar. News filtered through that Kilkenny were in control. A win would only ensure a trip to the High Court but that was enough as far as we were concerned. Time was running out. With less than ten minutes left Delaney replaced Flanagan as Dundalk went with a more adventurous 4-4-2 with Delaney further forward.

With five minutes left Coombes got the better of his marker on the right wing and put in a great cross onto the head of Reilly whose header was tipped onto the bar brilliantly by Whelan. The Home Farm defence had a few seconds to recover before another cross was put in. It was cleared to Melvin who hit an absolute rocket which was tipped brilliantly onto the crossbar. Unfortunately for Home Farm, it was their right back, Dundalkman Chris Malone, who tipped it onto the bar. He was sent off for deliberate hand ball and Dundalk had a penalty. It was fate, a team that lost three penalty shootouts this season and also missed three crucial penalties in League games would have their fate decided from the spot. However David Crawley has a 100% record from the spot since he took over spot kick duties and after a nervous wait he slotted the ball into the corner of the net with his left foot. Whelan guessed right but the penalty was delivered with precision accuracy. The Dundalk fans went wild but in the back of our minds was last week and we have learned the lesson not to celebrate until after the final whistle far too often this season. Like last week Reid did give away a crucial free kick but it was further out and eventually cleared. Dundalk held onto the ball and the final whistle went so the celebrating could really start. To those there who may not have understood completely the Kilkenny situation, the Dundalk celebrations would have looked ridiculous for a team that just missed out on a promotion playoff place. However the certainty in the Dundalk camp that justice will be done was apparent in the celebrations. Lets hope we are not made look foolish by the court ruling on Tuesday.

Star performers for Dundalk were Melvin, Coombes, Ward and also Reilly. Reid started very poorly but got better as the game went on while Crawley took his penalty very well. Legally, Dundalk have finished third and deserve a playoff place. Mishandling by the FAI and disgraceful cheating by Kilkenny sees us stand in fourth, for the moment at least. We sang "hi ho, hi ho, its off to court we go " after the final whistle. And that is all we have to take away from this game, the chance to go to court. Justice should prevail, the feeling is that it will, but with Dundalk things just are never that easy. This thing could run and run, lets hope not and a quick verdict on Tuesday will give us the chance for a playoff to get into the Premier Division. Less than what we expected at the start of the season, but better than the ignominy of finishing fourth and not knowing what could have been.

DUNDALK FC

1 John Connolly 6

2 Paddy Quinn 6

3 David Crawley 7

4 David Hoey 5

5 John Reid 6

6 Noel Melvin 8

7 John Flanagan 5

8 Robert Coombes 7

9 David Ward 7

10 Tony Izzi 6

11 Brian Morrisroe 6

SUBS

13 Anto Reilly 8 for Izzi

15 Derek Delaney 6 for Morrisroe