EIRCOM LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

11th February

Bray Wanderers 0

Dundalk 1

TONY IZZI 39

Three away wins in a row. Its amazing when you look at the League table that this Dundalk side has lost five home games this season and only three away from home. Of all the away wins this season however, I doubt any one of them has given such pleasure to any Dundalk fan. This was the one we needed, if Dundalk had lost the gap would have been five. Now there is no gap, we are joint top and even if Longford win their game in hand we are in the second automatic promotion spot. To put it plainly, promotion is in our own hands now.

There was no change to the side from last weeks victorious starting eleven. Tony Izzi was minus the strapping on his hamstring and looked to be much fitter while John Whyte looked more ready for a battle than he did last week when it took him a while to readjust to the pace. John Flanagan and David Hoey played together in the centre of midfield for the fourth time this season, this result means its four from four with that pair.

From the start it looked like it could be Dundalk's night. They looked the better team from the outset and despite playing into a strong wind in the first half they shaded it on possession and chances. David Ward had the games best early chance when he received the ball outside the Bray area and instead of shooting tried to cut inside but he was bundled over. The away fans called for a penalty but referee Gerry Perry who was to play a leading part in proceedings waved the protests away. At times the wind made passing difficult. Dundalk were still hitting the ball into the air too often and therefore the ball was coming straight back them at times but Bray were unable to capitalise. Ward was having a good match and the combative central midfield pair were coming into the game and winning the midfield battle with Alan Byrne as the match went on. Bray still had chances in the opening half but wild shooting cost them dear. They did not have one clearcut opportunity of note in the half however. The Dundalk rearguard were on great form in what was turning out to be a bad tempered game. David Hoey received an early yellow card for a late challenge on the Bray keeper but players on both sides were guilty of tackles just as bad in a frayed opening 45 minutes. Tony Izzi was trying his best to hold the ball up but the wind made it hard for him to actually gain control of the ball in the air in the first place. The wingers Quinn and Campbell were not too prominent in the opening half hour. Quinn, did have a half chance but his snap shot on 33 minutes sailed over the bar.

However Dundalk were to take a deserved lead on 39 minutes. They forced a corner on the left hand side after good work by David Ward. Crawley swung the corner in and Walsh flapped at it. It came to David Ward who turned inside a defender and hit a shot which was deflected and saw the ball loop into the air and even though it was fractionally behind him Tony Izzi swivelled and met the ball on the volley to turn it past John Walsh. The Italian again showed his predatory goalscoring instincts which have definitely been the main catalyst behind Dundalks upward surge. It could have been two nil soon after when a good cross from Paddy Quinn held up in the wind and was headed just over the bar by Paul Campbell. Bray had one more chance before the break but Philip Keogh fired his shot well wide of the goal.

The second half was to be an almighty tussle. John Flanagan and David Hoey were simply superb and covered every blade of grass on the pitch. The Dundalk defence held firm for the majority of the second half although Bray still had three good chances. David Ward is revelling in a new role just behind Izzi. It gives him the licence to roam and run with the ball. Having Izzi there takes the pressure off Ward, whose responsibility is not now to score goals but to make them. The first fifteen minutes of the second half were dominated by full blooded confrontations in the middle of the park. Several players could have walked on the evening but Gerry Perry was being reasonably restrained with his dishing out of yellow and red cards. Justin Dutton was introduced for Bray and he had their best chance on the hour mark when he was put through but good Dundalk pressure forced him to poke his shot wide of the post. Then during a hectic ten minute spell the game took on an extra dimension. John Whyte who was having a very good match chased a long ball down to the corner flag and slid for the ball along with Colm Tresson to win a Dundalk throw. However the players got involved in a bit of afters. Tresson seemed to have a go at Whyte who really shouldn't have reacted in the way he did by kicking the Bray defender. Tresson was very fortunate to escape punishment but Whyte really could have no complaints about being sent off. Paul Campbell reverted to right back for Dundalk with Tony Izzi on his own up front and David Ward reverting to the right side of midfield. During this frantic period where passions ran high Bray came close again when Alan Byrne picked the ball up 20 yards but his low shot hit the post and trickled wide. Tresson came close soon after with a very similar effort. It looked like Dundalk were in for a backs to the wall final 15 minutes but that was the best of the Bray chances over. Tresson had a good chance from a free kick 20 yards out but fired straight at Walsh. The last 10 minutes saw Derek Thornton introduced for Paddy Quinn. The left midfielder almost made another dramatic entry onto the pitch two minutes later when good skill took him past two Bray defenders but his final shot was weak.

Tony Izzi nearly got in a couple of times after long balls forward aided by the wind almost put him through but on most occasions he just couldn't get the better of the last defender. John Flanagan was simply everywhere in the final 10 minutes and Hoey also came into his element in the latter stages with some crucial challenges. David Ward was still darting around players and was a great asset during this time as he was capable of picking the ball up outside the Dundalk area and dribbling with it all the way into the Bray half and down towards the corner flag to waste further time. Already you were getting the feeling that it was going to be Dundalk's night. Paul Whelan and Noel Melvin were winning headers and Jason Byrne barely got a look in while Crawley also performed well on the evening. Gerry Perry, who made some dubious contributions on the evening finally blew up after an agonisingly long period of injury time to spark wild celebrations amongst Dundalk players and fans alike. John Flanagan ran over and jumped into the Dundalk fans while Terry Eviston, sportingly wearing a new hat came running across the pitch waving his fist in the air. You couldn't buy moments like that, thats about as good as it gets.

There were heroes all over the pitch for the Lilywhites on the night. Izzi, although things didn't really go right for him apart from the goal still worked hard in difficult conditions and again proved that he is a lethal finisher. Ward was superb, especially in the second half when the Dundalk defence needed someone to take the pressure off them. Melvin and Whelan were brilliant at the back, stifling the cup winning Bray strikeforce while in the centre of the park the contributions of John Flanagan and David Hoey were colossal. Two home games at Oriel next week could really see Dundalk taking this division by the scruff of the neck. If we could get our home form in check then we could definitely be looking at the prospect of Premier Division football next season

DUNDALK FC

1 John Connolly 7

2 John Whyte 8

3 David Crawley 8

4 David Hoey 9

5 Paul Whelan 8

6 Noel Melvin 8

7 John Flanagan 9

8 Paul Campbell 7

9 David Ward 8

10 Tony Izzi 8

11 Paddy Quinn 7

SUBS

13 Derek Thornton 6 for Quinn