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Horgan stars as Dundalk move clear at top

Updated / Friday, 23 Sep 2016 22:39
Brian Gartland celebrates scoring for Dundalk
Brian Gartland celebrates scoring for Dundalk

Daryl Horgan played a starring role yet again as Dundalk opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the SSE Airtricity League table with a 3-1 win over Derry City at Oriel Park.

Republic of Ireland boss Martin O’Neill opted against naming Horgan in his squad for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Georgia and Moldova but, on this evidence, he surely cannot ignore the Lilywhites winger for too much longer.

Horgan tormented the club from O’Neill’s native city, clocking up two assists and running the Candystripes back four ragged throughout, in a game that also acted as a dress rehearsal for next Sunday’s FAI Cup semi-final.

The result moves Stephen Kenny’s men eight points clear of Cork City and although the Leesiders have two games in hand, the pressure is now firmly on John Caulfield’s side to keep pace with the champions.

Coming off the back of the 1-1 draw with Shamrock Rovers just three nights earlier, Stephen Kenny made one change to his line up with John Mountney coming in to replace Robbie Benson on the right.

David McMillan, who bagged a hat-trick in the corresponding meeting between the sides at The Brandywell in July, again led the line for the champions.

That game was the last time The Candystripes had tasted defeat in the league and Kenny Shiels was able to recall Dean Jarvis and Aaron McEneff to his team for the journey south.

Shiels claimed that Dundalk looked jaded in their game with Rovers but there was certainly no sign of tired legs in the first-half, which whisked along at breakneck speed.

Dundalk should have pulled ahead after just four minutes. Horgan’s cross from the left picked out Patrick McEleney at the far post but the Derry native’s header was weak and caused his former team-mate Ger Doherty, no trouble.

Instead, it was the visitors who drew first blood with a goal that would have been well received in Cork. Rory Patterson, who earlier attempted an audacious lob over Gary Rogers from distance, drew Andy Boyle and Brian Gartland out of the middle, allowing Barry McNamee to pick up possession on the left of the penalty area.

His drive across goal was only parried by the Dundalk goalkeeper and Austrian Lukas Schubert was on hand to take advantage of a slip by Dane Massey and tap the ball home.

The lead, however, lasted just seven minutes with Horgan again the creator.

Sent clear by McMillan, he left Conor McDermott in his rearview window. The subsequent cutback evaded McMillan but Mountney was there to control and rattle home the equaliser.

The little winger was instrumental again in the build up to Dundalk’s second goal four minutes later, his quick feet shifting the ball left for McMillan to curl an effort at goal that Doherty did well to turn around the post.

Mountney took the resulting corner and, his delivery was headed against the crossbar by Dane Massey, but Gartland was on hand to head home his second goal in the space of three days and his fifth of the campaign.

Doherty came to his side’s rescue just past the half hour when he pushed a McEleney effort away after the winger was set clear by McMillan. Horgan just couldn’t apply the finishing touch to the loose ball.

Horgan had the Oriel Park faithful on the edge of their seats again in the second half with a dazzling performance and the crucial third arrived just shy of the hour when he ran at the unfortunate McDermott before changing direction and slipping a superb pass in for McMillan to smash home his 15th league goal of the season.

Dundalk: Rogers; Gannon, Gartland, Boyle, Massey; Finn, O’Donnell (Benson 80); Mountney (Shields 74), McEleney, Horgan; McMillan (Kilduff 72).

Derry City: G Doherty; McDermott, Vemmelund, Karner (B Doherty 65), Jarvis; McCormack, McEneff; Schubert, McNamee, Curtis (Boyle 76); Patterson.

Referee: Paul McLaughlin.

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