EMMET MALONE
at Oriel Park

Dundalk 2, Shamrock Rovers 2

After the midweek war of words a little ill will was probably to be expected in this game but while the scale of the controversy relating to Tuesday's Setanta Cup game may well have owed something to the enthusiasm of a media that really can't resist a story it can slap a "Watergate" headline on, the conflict last night was more close to the bone.

It was, to be fair, compelling enough stuff for the spectators with Dundalk showing their customary energy and enterprise to come from behind and lead. Their visitors, though, deserved plenty of credit too for the way in which they chased the game when all looked to have been lost after they had been reduced to 10 men.

Along the way, though, the on-field feud seemed to simmer then boil and after the celebrations and pitch invasion that greeted Ronan's Finn's injury-time equaliser had subsided the sense of bitterness on both sides seemed pretty clear.  

Before the break
The problems started just before the break when Shane Robinson's challenge on Stephen O'Donnell resulted in the midfielder being carried off with suspected cruciate ligament damage. When referee Paul McLaughlin decided that the tackle was fair as Robinson had won the ball he was met with a barrage of abuse from the locals but they might have warmed to him again over the course of the second half when Rovers were hit by a penalty then a sending off that turned the contest on its head.

There was little enough dispute about the spot kick, with Pat Hoban’s corner met close on by an outstretched arm that appeared to belong to Conor Kenna but immediately after Richie Towell converted to cancel out Ciarán Kilduff’s early strike, the Rovers skipper was shown a straight red for a clash with Daryl Horgan in which the defender was alleged to have used his elbow. As he left the pitch he seemed to suggest he had been the victim first.

Dundalk had the bulk of the momentum since they had been obliged to start chasing an equaliser just short of a quarter of an hour in and they soon pushed on to take the lead with John Mountney setting up O'Donnell's replacement Darren Meenan for a shot from the edge of the area.

Create chances
From then it was open and fairly action packed with Rovers doing their best to get forward and create chances even as Trevor Croly reshaped the team slightly to make it more resilient. The visitors had a penalty claim of their own turned down, when most of their players and a fair portion of their bench felt that Shane Robinson had handled and there were other occasions when the locals seemed to be hanging on slightly.

At the other end, though, there really should have been a goal or two more for the hosts, with Horgan passing up a decent chance to make it three when put through one-on-one with Barry Murphy only to shoot straight at the goalkeeper before Meenan, far more outrageously, opted to shoot himself in the dying seconds of regular time, when a pass to David McMillan would have meant a virtually sure-fire goal.

They had few enough complaints in the end and when the dust settled on the late Rovers goal – a fine finish by Finn after Ciarán Kilduff had sent him racing clear into the box – Stephen Kenny and the home support must have found it difficult not to reflect on the chances Dundalk had passed up. Converting either here would surely have been enough to secure the extra two points and the failure to do so means Cork go back to the top of the table on goal difference.


DUNDALK: Cherrie; Gannon, Gartland, Boyle, Massey; Higgins; Mountney, Towell, O'Donnell (Meenan, 44 mins), Horgan (Shields, 82 mins); Hoban (McMillan, 84 mins)
SHAMROCK ROVERS: Murphy; Madden, Kenna, McGuinness, Heaney; Robinson; Finn, McPhail (Bayly, 68 mins), McCabe (66 mins); Zayed (Cornwall, 58 mins), Kilduff.
Referee: P McLaughlin (Donegal)