EIRCOM LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

16th October

St Francis 0

Dundalk 3

JOHN FLANAGAN 35, 40 , 89 [pen]

John Flanagan scored the first league hat-trick by a Dundalk player in four years last night as Dundalk eased to a comfortable win over St Francis. Stephen Kelly was player who scored that hat-trick four years ago against Monaghan as Dundalk moved towards the League championship. It could have finished around five or six nil to Dundalk against an outclassed Francis side who seem destined to prop up the table again this season

Dundalk started with the same side which won against Athlone, Bray and Home Farm. A win never really looked in doubt as from the outset Dundalk were putting the Francis defence under pressure.

David Crawley was very threatening down the left wing throwing in some dangerous crosses to test the Francis rearguard. Ward and Honan had early headed chances but neither got a clean connection. And although it took some time to make the breakthrough it never looked in doubt and it was always going to be a matter of time. John Connolly again earned an easy match fee in goals with only a few crosses to worry about. Ward was not as lively in the opening period as he has been in previous weeks and Honan was having a good battle with the Francis defence. It was the runners from midfield and the back that was causing all the problems. Dundalk forced plenty of corners in the opening period which troubled the Francis defence but it was on 35 minutes that David Crawley found the perfect delivery. His right wing corner sailed over everyone until John Flanagan met it on the half volley eight yards out to make it one nil to Dundalk.

Dundalk fans did not have to wait long for a second. This was a great individual goal by Flanagan. Picking the ball up at halfway he jinked past a Francis defender and made a forceful run towards the edge of the box from where he hit a low drive into the bottom right hand corner of the net. The game was now over as a contest as Francis did not look like scoring one goal, let alone two. And when they were reduced to ten men three minutes from the break after a nasty and rash tackle on Ward by John Scott Dundalk knew that the points were in the bag. At half time the talk was of how many Dundalk would score

It was in fact to be only three goals but it could have been a lot more as Dundalk squandered a host of chances in the second half, bringing back bad memories of the first League game of the season where Dundalk bombarded the Francis goal for 90 minutes only to lose to a 93rd minute strike. However Dundalk had a margin of safety before they went forward and this showed in the side's positive play which led to some good spells of passing on an absolutely wonderful pitch which was more like a carpet.

Brian Honan probably had Dundalk's clearest cut oppourtunity when he was put through but he volleyed wide under pressure. David Ward was starting to find spaces and made some darting runs forward. David Hoey after a poor first half threatened more in the second and put in some dangerous crosses. He could even have made it three in the best moment of the half. This came about when Ward made a fantastic run forward past three Francis defenders and hit a shot across the goal and against the post. The ball rebounded to Hoey whose shot was brilliantly saved on the line by the St Francis defender. Brian Morrisroe had a half chance as well soon after when his left footed shot was blocked and the left winger nearly made amends when he took is past two Francis defenders but was blocked by a third when he would have been clear on goal. Dundalk fans were urging John Flanagan forward hoping he would get his hat-trick but while he made some runs forward he never got the shooting opportunity. Tom McNulty orchestrated things well in the middle of the park. Derek Delaney replaced Hoey and did alright in his spell on the right wing, he was more prominent late on when he had plenty of space and probably showed the benefit of the extra man.

The third goal did come though on 89 minutes when a punt forward from the back saw David Ward on his own with two Francis defenders around him. One of them slipped and he showed the other a clean set of heels and took the ball past the keeper who fouled him blatantly as he went past. Inevitably the call was for Flanagan to take the penalty. The penalty was poorly directed but hit with power and while it hit the keeper it trickled under his body and rolled into the back of the net to make it three nil and seal the hat-trick for the midfielder who has grown in stature and confidence since joining the side as a cover player at the start of the season.

Melvin and Gollogley again kept another clean sheet at the back. Paudie was playing with an injury but they dealt with everything that came their way. Whyte was solid and Crawley was dangerous on the left wing. Wingers Morrisroe and Hoey drifted in and out with McNulty doing well in the middle. Ward and Honan did better in the second half, especially Ward. However the outstanding performer for Dundalk was John Flanagan. Winning has now become a habit. The players expect it now and the confident way in which Dundalk were knocking the ball about for the first 35 minutes before the goal suggested this. If Dundalk can keep beating the lesser teams as convincingly and then produce a little bit more for the big guns then surely we could have something to celebrate at the end of the year.

DUNDALK FC

1 John Connolly 6

2 John Whyte 6

3 David Crawley 8

4 Tom McNulty 7

5 Padraig Gollogley 7

6 Noel Melvin 7

7 David Hoey 6

8 John Flanagan 9

9 David Ward 7

10 Brian Honan 6

11 Brian Morrisroe 6

SUBSTITUTES

13 Derek Delany 6 for Hoey

David Martin

Ollie Ralph

Michael Gahan

Paddy Quinn