EIRCOM LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

22nd August

Dundalk 0

Longford 1

STEPHEN GAVIN 65

What do we have to do to score. Simple fact is that Dundalk have lost three games, thats all that the records books will say. We all know the story behind the matches. Dundalk dominated all three, outclassed the opposing teams but yet could not find the net, not because of brave Longford defending but lacklustre finishing.

The start of the game saw a new face in the Dundalk team, Brian Morris-Roe. A player who has played at the very top in the League Of Ireland would never have expected to play in Division One. His appearance was a boost to Dundalk fans. He replaced David Ward up front who was out because of flu. Also returning at the back was prodigal son Padraig Staunton, with Gollogley dropped to the bench.

Longford started well and forced Murphy into an early save but after those 10 minutes it was all Dundalk. Dundalk won corners and had half chances to score without a real clearcut opportunity. Morris-Roe started well showing some good touches although Michael Harte was clearly out of sorts on the left wing, possibly carrying an injury. Morris-Roe, despite a good start was guilty of a shocking miss on the half hour mark. Longford were going backwards and their right back made an awful hash of a passback leaving it well short and putting Morris-Roe clean through on goal. However in glorious isolation and with only O Brien to beat he waited too long and gave O Brien time to close the angle. With nowhere to go he ended up blasting it straight at O Brien. Longford had gotten out of jail. Soon after Harte was replaced by another new signing Gavin Moore. Moore went in up front with Morris-Roe reverting to left midfield where he looked a lot more comfortable linking up well with Reid and Crawley raiding up the left wing. Morris-Roe was involved in the next major chance for Dundalk when some lovely play going forward saw a cross being met first time on the volley by Morris-Roe. The connection was not very clean but O Brien had to get down low to save and the rebound fell to Hoey who had his shot brilliantly blocked by a Longford defender. For all Dundalk's possession they just could not score. The last major incident of the half saw Dundalk lose Morris-Roe after he clashed heads with a Longford defender but reports suggest he may have fell awkwardly and injured himself. Whatever the injury it was serious enough for him to be stretchered off, it is hard to know how long he will be out for. Delany replaced Morris-Roe, the second enforced substitution of the half.

The second half saw David Hoey becoming more prominent. The Knockbridge native was Dundalk's outstanding performer of the day but he was out of luck in front of goal. His darting runs were causing havoc in the Longford defence and it was no suprise that he would be at the centre of the two major incidents in the half at the Longford end. The first came only a few minutes in the half when good link up play saw Reid putting Hoey away and after taking it past two defenders he was going past the last one and ready to shoot when he was brought down. It was a clear penalty although the referee was unsure at first about where the foul had taken place. Crawley was not in the vicinity of the penalty area when Reid picked the ball up and put it down on the spot. However his penalty was low and just to the keepers right and it was really an easy save for the netminder. A lot of penalties are awarded in Division One and Dundalk are going to have to find someone with a bit of confidence in front of goal. The game really was frustrating to watch for Dundalk fans because when Dundalk passed the ball about they opened Longford up easily. Longford are a poor side, if they are promotion material then Dundalk when they find a goalscorer are certainties. However Dundalk's spell of possession normally ended with a poor pass or a wild shot, composure in front of goal was not there either. Hoey was not finished yet though and should have made it 1-0 on 60 minutes. Taking up the ball at midfield he took it past three Longford defenders and having run with the ball from just inside his own half he got to penalty box took it past O Brien and shot into the sidenetting. After doing all the hard work he could not do the easy thing.

It was looking more and more inevitable Longford would score and surely enough they did, on 65 minutes. A cross from the left was held up by Zellor and Melvin could not get a challenge in, Zellor laid it off to Gavin who was unmarked and shot home. Daylight robbery. There was still time for Dundalk to score though. Moore missed a great chance toe poking it into the keepers hands from 10 yards. Moore, started well with some good touches and good passes but as the game went on he was more and more disappointing, maybe fitness was the problem. Reid done a lot of hard work for the team but couldn't get his head onto a cross. Dundalk just don't know where the goals are going to come from.

In fact Dundalk's most dangerous player in the last 15 minutes was David Crawley. He had a free kick saved by O Brien, another free kick hit the bar while his rasping 25 yard drive shaved the crossbar. Dundalk fans could only watch in agony as time ticked away and Dundalk could not score. The game was to finish Dundalk 0 Longford 1, the shots on goal counter would probably read Dundalk 25 Longford 2.

Eviston and Ralph are left in an impossible situation. Their team has done everything asked of them in midfield, passed well, got forward in numbers but just can't find the killer touch. However the lapses in concentration at the back must be addressed, even if the excuse that it is hard to keep the concentration up when you're only seeing the ball in that position once or twice a half is quite an understandable one. The better team did not win, again. The mark of a great team is when they play bad and still win, Longford aren't a great team, they're just lucky. However games are won by goals, people who didn't see this game only know the score and that Longford took home three points. If Dundalk are playing well and still don't win, whats going to happen when they start to play bad and don't pass the ball as well ? I don't like this division, the farce regarding the corners flags in Limerick was embarassing. The sooner Dundalk get out of division the better, the question is, have we a player who can score goals and fulfil that ambition. The answer would have to be no.

DUNDALK FC

1 Brendan Murphy 7

2 John Whyte 6

3 David Crawley 6

4 Padraig Staunton 7

5 David Hoey 8

6 Noel Melvin 6

7 Tom McNulty 6

8 John Sharkey 6

9 Brian Morris-Roe 6

10 Mark Reid 6

11 Michael Harte 4

SUBS

14 Moore 5 [for Harte]

13 Delany 5 [for Morris-Roe ]