Monaghan United’s first game at Oriel Park did not go according to plan as Cooke’s men recorded yet another defeat at the hands of Dundalk. Since Dundalk installed their artificial pitch during the 2006 season United have been unable to overcome the Lilywhites on their home “turf”. Thursday nights 3-0 defeat is added to 3-0, 3-1 and 1-0 losses at the Carrickmacross Road venue since the removal of the grass whilst Mons had successfully turned Dundalk over at Kingspan Century Park twice and drawn once in that time.
United were up for the game from the whistle and ex Dundalk player James Hand combined well with Philip Sheppard to give Dundalk a fright. Mons continued to try and unsettle Dundalk by going forward early in the game with Darren Meenan having a chance but just wasn’t able to control the volley and his prospect dissipated.
As Dundalk got to grips with the game Ian Malone was called upon to keep Dundalk from breaking too far forward. The rest of the defence joined in to crowd Dundalk out and their first chance of the game went wide.
With United winning an early corner it looked like Mons might remove the hoodoo of Oriel and get on the scoreboard. Robbie Collins sent the ball in to Hand who sent it back out to the better placed Sheppard. Sheppard was unceremoniously dumped off the ball and Dundalk were off up the pitch but their weak attempt on goal fell to Mons goalie Brendan Kennedy.
As Kennedy cleared the ball he inadvertently sent it into the path of the oncoming Robbie Martin who lobbed the well off his line ‘keeper and the ball bounced like a child on a trampoline into the back of the net. With only 8 minutes on the clock this was a devastating blow for Monaghan.
It was as if Dundalk smelt blood and shark-like they began to tear United apart. Mons did fight back but were deemed offside in ambiguous circumstances. Dundalk took advantage of some sloppy passing from United and found holes in the midfield to create some more opportunities. Sheppard had a few chances to find the equaliser but blasted one over and had another deflected out for a corner.
Manager John Gill had obviously done his homework and knew that Darren Meenan was one to watch. Every time Meenan had the ball he was closed down by 2 -3 players and was taken down on enough occasions to fuel paranoia in the young Northern Ireland Under 21 player. Frustration began to show as Don Tierney and Ian Maher, making his debut, were booked within 4 minutes of each other.
Kennedy was forced to make several saves as Dundalk let rip on Mons. Jamie Duffy made it through the United defence with ease passing to Robbie Farrell but ex Mon Farrell was unable to score against his old team and appeared to be lacking pace, Kennedy had no trouble in making the save. In the 27th minute Kennedy was called upon again and managed to keep the ball out of the net using his foot. Kennedy sent the ball back into the path of Martin but luckily Martin’s comedic shot went well over the bar.
Dundalk were relentless however and another ex-Mon and Clones native Paul Sheils worked in tandem with Jamie Duffy to run riot on the pitch before creating a chance that “Sheilo” sent out for a goal kick. Just when it looked like United had gone home, new signing Ian Maher from Dutch side RKSV Leonidas used his head to connect to a missile of a shot from Meenan but Aaron Shannhan got there with ease.
United started to play in as time wound down in the first half and Meenan began to make an impact. Hand managed some fancy footwork before sending the ball through but there was no one there to capitalise and United were once more on the back foot. On the 44th minute Dundalk got the second goal they had been threatening to get when Kevin Williamson, despite playing consistently well as he has done since he arrived at United last season, was beaten by Duffy before the ex-Shamrock Rovers player crossed the ball for David Cassidy to rattle the back of the net.
The second half started scrappily and it was 3 minutes before there was any real plays made. Dundalk won a corner which David Crawley duly took, sending it straight to Kennedy in the Mons goals. Davie O’Connor took a pot shot at goal for Dundalk but Kennedy was able to pluck it out of the air before Dundalk could add to their tally.
United settled again and Sheppard sprinted up the pitch with the ball but his cross to Robbie Collins was just a touch too far and Collins was unable to make it. The game went into vicious battle mode and it was end to end for a few minutes as neither team were able to hold onto the ball for any sustained amount of time. Dundalk eventually broke through United’s defence once more but the ball went out for a goal kick. Kennedy’s kick was not long in returning and Dundalk won a corner but they were not able to score from the set piece.
United’s fans were given some hope when yet again Meenan was unfairly taken down and Mons were awarded a free. Within seconds of the ball being kicked United were given another free as Eoin Lannigan was the victim of the boisterous Dundalk defence. Defender Ian Malone took the kick well up the pitch but he misjudged and the ball scorched over the bar.
United did come close when Lannigan tried to lob the keeper but Shanahan just made it back to his line and grabbed the ball out of the air managing by millimetres to keep the ball from crossing the line while he staggered backwards.
The 4th ex-United player to take play against Monaghan on the night, Trevor Vaughan, came close for his team when he had no one left to beat bar the goalie and he looked dead certain to score. His shot somehow went wide and bounced off the side netting.
United came back at them and Lannigan was unlucky to be judged off side as he bore down on Shanahan’s goal. Shane Grimes and Trevor Vaughan tried to combine as they moved up the pitch but Grimes couldn’t get to the returning pass from Vaughan.
Undeterred by the scoreline Mons started to build up again but the momentum was lost as players took too much time on the ball and when Paul Whelan shot, he sent the ball too high and it went over the bar. United’s substitution Stephen McCrossan, seemed to shake things up a little and he and Lannigan went on the attack to try and turn the game around. They were unable to get through though and their couple of attempts were halted.
Dundalk’s Monaghan man Paul Smyth helped round off the goalfest by sending the ball in for Robbie Martin to get his second goal of the evening in the 87th minute. United lost all heart and knew there was no way back and the game petered into a kick around until the final whistle was blown.
Dundalk: Aaron Shanahan; John Flanagan, Ian Ryan, David Crawley, Shane Grimes; Jamie Duffy, David Cassidy, Paul Shiels (Paul Marney 70), Davie O’Connor (Paul Smyth 78); Robbie Farrell (Trevor Vaughan 62), Robbie Martin.Goals: R Martin (8, 87), D Cassidy (44).Booked: D Cassidy (16), P Shiels (32), J Flanagan (66).
Subs Not Used: Tiarnàn Mulvenna, Paul Crowley.
Monaghan United: Brendan Kennedy; Paul Whelan, Aaron Mooney, Ian Malone, Kevin Williamson; Darren Meenan, Don Tierney, Ian Maher (Stephen McCrossan 68), James Hand (Wayne Byrne HT); Robbie Collins, Philip Sheppard (Eoin Lannigan 62).Booked: D Tierney (23), I Maher (27), I Malone (39), K Williamson (89), P Whelan (91).
Subs Not Used: Danny Woods (GK), Brian Gartland.
20/03/2008, 2:31 PM
monutdfc
On the opening goal Kennedy blasted it straight against Martin and it bounced off him into the back of the net - here about 1 min 30. Martin did not lob him, the ball just bounced off his face.
Nothing "inadvertent" about it either, goal was 100% the 'keepers fault he could easily cleared the ball, even if he had to put it out for a throw
