Doyle’s Double Dundalk Delight!
Two goals from Mons marksman Willie Doyle was the undoing of top of the table Dundalk last night in the FAI eircom League of Ireland First Division game at Kingspan Century Park. A shaky Dundalk were unable to net a single goal as their stikers made mistake after mistake, possibly costing them the League title.
In a game that had all the drama of a cup final, impassioned arguing, “handbags” posturing and the underdog coming out on top, this was a game not suited to the faint of heart. Local derbies are often the thrillers of the season and Monaghan United and Dundalk did not disappoint.
The first half was an even enough affair with a dogged United preventing Dundalk from getting a foothold in the game. Within minutes of the start Dundalk had a few opportunities to stamp their authority on the match. Shane Grimes took the ball up the pitch winning a throw but despite targeting Robbie Dunne, Monaghan’s Luke Fitzpatrick intercepted. The lilywhites sent in another optimistic ball from the wing but it sailed over the bar missing Philly Hughes by miles. Dundalk then won a corner as they sustained the pressure but whilst they were unable to do anything from the set piece they promptly won a free. David Crawley sent in a thundering shot and Alvin Rouse had to act fast but unfortunately brought the ball over the line to give Dundalk another corner.
Kevin Williamson was on his toes and cleared the incoming corner but was not able to get it far enough out and some messy football ensued in the box until Aaron Mooney was able to clear it up the pitch. Robbie Farrell was ready and ran on to the ball but Dundalk goalie Niall Gallagher got there first.
United started their fight back when Kevin Williamson skinned Philly Hughes and made off up the pitch. Dundalk’s defence were up to the job however and held Williamson off. United continued to threaten and Farrell looked on for goal with only 10 minutes on the clock but once more Gallagher had it covered. Within seconds the ball was back at the edge of the United box with Robbie Doyle in a 1-on-1 position with United’s ‘keeper Alvin Rouse. Rouse was keeping cool and looked like he had it covered when Doyle spectacularly mis-kicked leaving Rouse with nothing to do.
With United having been handed an early “get out of jail free” card, Meenan took up the wing like a bullet having being served a perfect ball from Brian Gannon. Meenan had beaten Shane Grimes to the ball and was heading goal bound but was unable to finish this time. Robbie Doyle seemed to wish to make amends for his early slip up but his weak shot on goal in the 18th minute didn’t come close. Moments later a free kick was tipped over the bar by Rouse as he began to show shades of the top class goalkeeper he is.
As Dundalk tried to build up for another assault on the United goals, Dunne tried to send the ball forward for the on-running Hughes but Gannon was faster and got to it allowing it to run out for a United goal kick. United then began to get into the stride and Don Tierney set up a string of passes when he dispossessed Cathal O’Connor before sending the ball to Peter D’arcy. D’arcy sent the ball to Meenan who fed it to Barry Burke. This time captain Burke was unable to get any further with it and the attack died off.
In the 24th minute Robbie Doyle again tried a long ball in for Philly Hughes but once more Hughes was unable to chase it and it went out for a goal kick. As United tried to get back on the attack, Tierney and Gannon teamed up but were held off by Dundalk before Hughes was to get his first real chance of the half. Hughes sent a fine shot in but Rouse was well capable and caught it at the far post. Finding a chink in the United defence, Dundalk again tried to hit the target but once more the 6’5” Barbados International goalie had the measure of them and easily caught the ball.
The Mons continued to battle on and Farrell had the right idea when he sent forward the ball through a steely Dundalk defence trying to find Willie Doyle. Doyle just couldn’t get to the ball in time and the attack petered out.
Hughes, having won a throw far up the pitch, picked out Monaghan native and ex-Mons & Huddersfield Town player James Hand, but Hand’s fluffed shot gave United’s defence a chance to clear. They didn’t manage to get the ball out very far and Dundalk got another throw as a result of the slip up. As United’s defence cleared the ball out though, the Mons found themselves racing back up the pitch.
United were almost gifted a goal by Grimes in the 29th minute as he tried to head the ball sent in for Farrell, clear of goal. Gallagher had come too far out and Farrell hadn’t quite made it in but Grimes was lucky that his header went just wide saving his blushes. At this stage United looked their most threatening and Dundalk must have been worried as they piled into the box in force. United came close to opening the scoring as 3 to 4 shots were blasted goalward in the crowded box but luckily for the Louth team their defenders managed to keep each threat at bay.
Dundalk still had some of their spark left and only for Luke Fitzpatrick’s fast backtracking, Gill’s men would have had a perfect goalscoring opportunity. Things started to get tense between the teams as neither were able to break the deadlock and Barry Bourke was yellow carded for a tackle on Philly Hughes. An on-pitch scuffle broke out as players got involved in the debating with the referee but things soon settled down again and play resumed.
It was not to be Robbie Doyle’s night as once more he fluffed a perfect chance in front of goal in what was to be the last major chance of the first half. Just before the half time whistle was due to be blown, a nasty clash of heads left Monaghan United’s Burke and Dundalk’s Doyle lying on the ground just in front of the United dugout. The Monaghan United Doctor was called to the pitch to tend to the injured players and while the game resumed for 3 minutes of added time, there was little left in either team and the half ended 0-0.
