Dundalk 3-0 Finn Harps
Patrick McEleney marked his home debut with a goal as Dundalk ran out 3-0 winners against newly promoted Finn Harps at Oriel Park.
With the prospect of three games in the space of seven days on the horizon, Lilywhites manager Stephen Kenny shuffled his pack, with Stephen O’Donnell, Brian Gartland and John Mountney all dropping to the bench and Chris Shields, Sean Gannon and Darren Meenan coming into the side.
Harps boss Ollie Horgan didn’t have such luxuries with five of the starting XI that beat Derry City on the opening day missing. Amongst those on the missing list were new recruits Barry Molloy and Sean Houston.
The reigning champions opened on the front foot and just four minutes had tucked by when Keith Cowan had to make a great block tackle to deny McEleney from sweeping home Sean Gannon’s cutback.
That move was initiated by Daryl Horgan and the Dundalk winger was involved again minutes later, floating a ball over the top that found Ciaran Kilduff in acres of space behind the Harps back four, but the striker collected it with his back to goal, allowing blue shirts to funnel back and clear.
Horgan forced Brush into his first save of the night on the quarter-hour mark, taking control of McEleney’s pass to dart inside and flash a drive at goal which the Harps goalkeeper did well to turn over the top.
The reprieve lasted just a matter of seconds, however, and from Darren Meenan’s subsequent corner, Paddy Barrett popped up to head home the first goal of the new campaign at Oriel Park.
The Waterford native looks like he will provide stiff competition for Andy Boyle and Brian Gartland at the heart of the Dundalk back four this season but it was at the other end where he almost proved highly effective again just three minutes later.
Again, Meenan provided the ammunition but this time Barrett could only head wide with the goal at his mercy.
Finn Harps showed no signs of folding but they failed to threaten Gary Rogers in the home side’s goal. It was Dundalk who continued to look a threat and Ronan Finn will maybe feel he should have hit the target from Kilduff’s clipped ball into the box in the 28th minute.
Chris Shields then fired a well-hit volley into Brush’s midriff before Meenan was involved again in the final act of the half, his floating free-kick from the left glanced onto the post by McEleney before the ball was cleared to safety.
Ryan Curran almost silenced the home support seven minutes into the second period but his snapshot went just wide of Rogers’ right hand post with the goalkeeper rooted to the spot.
Dundalk opened up after that and Ronan Finn almost brought the house down with a 35-yard screamer that whistled just over the bar.
The second goal felt inevitable and it arrived in the 59th minute. Dane Massey’s cutback from the left was precise and the finish from McEleney was even better, the Derry man superbly finding the corner of Brush’s net.
The game was put to bed with 15 minutes to go when Horgan’s corner from the left landed amongst a crowd of bodies and ended up in the net. Andy Boyle halfheartedly claimed the goal but it looked like the final touch came off a blue shirt.
Dundalk: Gary Rogers; Sean Gannon, Paddy Barrett, Andy Boyle, Dane Massey; Chris Shields, Ronan Finn; Darren Meenan (John Mountney 69), Patrick McEleney (Robbie Benson 70), Daryl Horgan; Ciaran Kilduff (David McMillan 72).
Finn Harps: Richard Brush; Ethan Boyle, Damien McNulty, Keith Cowan, Ciaran Coll; Adam Hanlon (Liam Flatley 67), Michael Funston, Raymond Foy, Gareth Harkin (Kevin McHugh 78), Dave Scully; Ryan Curran (Matthew Crossan 78).
Referee: Ray Matthews.
