EIRCOM LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

The situation regarding the Hogan Park pitch was laughable, the grass would be too long to play most sports on but the game went ahead without proper grass and corner flags. The original corner flags were removed because they were too small, technically making it an illegal game. When one Dundalk fan shouted to Tommy Lynch " we'll have a whiparound for the corner flags " the Limerick manager replied, "what about a whiparound for my f**kin wages". All very funny of course but the poverty in which Limerick live in is no laughing matter, a long way removed from Tolka Park and Turners Cross.

Dundalk made one change from Sunday's team with David Hoey replacing Peter Finn. The game started differently to Sunday with Dundalk starting on top, however it was a first half devoid of excitement apart from short spells of Dundalk pressure. On two occasions Dundalk could have scored from low crosses from the wings. The first came when Harte and Ward combined down the left to put a low cross across the area but the ball was just behind the sliding Sharkey. On the second it was Sharkey who crossed but the ball was too fast for Harte to get there in time. David Crawley curled a free kick around the wall but just past the post soon after that. However the two main Dundalk chances came within five seconds of each other. The first came when Harte broke free from his defender, 30 minutes into the half and gave it to Ward who shot against the crossbar. The ball rebounded off the bar with John Sharkey who after controlling the ball fired his shot against the bar again. It had been a frustrating first half for Dundalk, ruined by an incompetent ref who booked three or four players from each side despite the game not being in any way bad tempered.

Despite the chances Dundalk still looked to lack creative ideas. Harte seemed to be wasted on the left wing and when he drifted infield really started to play well and put in some good passes. However Dundalk's tactics of pelting high balls into the box was not working with Reid ineffective and losing his battle with Limerick's Ray O Halloran. Dundalk did not use Sharkey to good effect either, giving the ball to him in the air and not along the ground. The second half, like the first started slowly with Dundalk still looking the most dangerous. Dundalk forced a corner after 53 minutes and for once, actually made use of the chance when the corner was cleared to the edge of the box. From there Tom McNulty blasted a shot goalwards and it was turned past the goalkeeper by Mark Reid who made one of his few worthy contributions of the evening. Instead of going for the second Dundalk made the fatal error of sitting back on the lead, a tactic which would prove costly as all the players became bunched in the Dundalk half. Limerick had only a snapshot or two to their name at this stage. However a Limerick sending off would change the game. Albert Finnin was sent off for jumping into a Dundalk player for a header, apparently using his elbow in the process. This fired the Limerick players up and their sprinkling of fans started to get behind their team. They introduced 17 year old substitute striker Derek McCarthy. And soon after Limerick were level as Dundalk were pegged further and further back. Declan Considine on the left jinked past Dundalk defenders before putting a cross in onto the head of the unmarked McCarthy who headed past Murphy who had nothing else much to do in the match. Dundalk now looked like they were the team at the one man disadvantage but soon after they would be down to 10 men with David Hoey sent off for a second bookable offence, after catching the player with a late challenge. After the game the player did not know why he was sent off, saying his first offence was for warning the ref to look out for Limerick players' elbows while going up for headers. Neither players who were sent off deserved to go but the Limerick players sending off certainly woke the game up.

Dundalk now found themselves under a barrage of pressure and after several half chances looked to have weathered the storm until a crazy moment of madness from Tom McNulty in the 93rd minute. Dundalk had won back possession after a Limerick attack and Reid laid it off to McNulty inside his own half. With no Dundalk players up front he still decided to hammer it upfield however he hit it straight off the back of an unknowing Limerick player and the ball ricocheted over McNulty and suddenly Dundalk's defence were caught napping and the ball was clipped through to McCarthy who found himself one on one and made no mistake from 10 yards, a real finish of a natural goalscorer. Dundalk were shellshocked, for the second time in three days. Concentration should be kept at all times, the game does not finish after 90 minutes, it finishes when the final whistle goes. Melvin and Gollogley both had fine individual games but as a unit they did not gel, they let Limerick in behind them too often.

However Dundalk despite dominating never looked like scoring in the second half. Direct football does not suit Dundalk against big physical defences like Limerick. On the few occasions Dundalk passed the ball along the ground they opened Limerick up. Harte and Sharkey looked dangerous with the ball at their feet as they are skilful players, they don't need the ball hammered into the air, Ward, who was bitterly disappointing on the night would also benefit from more passing along the ground. These are surely all basic things which will be easier to do on better pitches but after two defeats Dundalk can't afford many more slipups. Other teams are scoring points and scoring goals and Dundalk are already chasing. No less than victory on Sunday is acceptable, anything worse and our one year holiday could become a permanent stay.

DUNDALK FC

1 Brendan Murphy 6

2 John Whyte 6

3 David Crawley 6

4 Padraig Gollogley 7

5 David Hoey 6

6 Noel Melvin 7

7 Tom McNulty 4

8 Michael Harte 5

9 David Ward 4

10 Mark Reid 5

11 John Sharkey 5

SUBSTITUTES

13 Peter Finn 4

14 David Martin 5