The Commentary Box: Dundalk threw away two precious points

It was a night of utter disappointment at Oriel Park on Friday night, as Dundalk threw away two precious points in injury time to come away with just one, when they gave away a lead to Treaty United a side they have failed to beat this season.

For the third time, Treaty hit back against a Dundalk lead this season to hold the league leaders. Earlier in the season Treaty came back from two nil down at Oriel to snatch a two-all draw in injury time.

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This time they again got the equaliser in injury time. But Dundalk had only taken the lead minutes before. For the second week in a row, Dundalk served up a disappointing performance.

For 70 minutes the game was a totally forgettable affair. The introduction of Andy Paraschiv on the wing gave Dundalk a massive injection on the flank.

It was Paraschiv who created the Dundalk lead goal with four minutes remaining. Dundalk were much better when in those final 20 minutes.

Yet they were caught out with a lapse of concentration at the back that gave the Limerick side a draw. And few could argue that they did not deserve their point.

Dundalk played without Mayowa and Sean Keogh who were both suspended. Shane Tracey and Sean McHale came in for Dundalk.

Dundalk were still without the injured Conor O'Keefe who is still recovering from a head injury in a game over five weeks ago. Thus it was an even younger than usual team that Ciaran Kilduff was forced to pick.

Shane Tracey and Sean McHale both replaced the suspended two. McHale picked up a bad ankle ligament injury which has kept him out of the team for weeks. He has played since then coming on as a sub.

This was his first start in nearly 7  weeks. He had an excellent game as did the other centre half Vinny Leonard. Luke Mulligan once again impressed at right full.

He was never afraid to push forward and have a go at the Treaty goal. Daryl Horgan was excellent on the wing. But he was not getting the support his passes deserved. Leo Gaxha was unlucky with some of his efforts on goal.

Eoin Kenny worked hard on the wing and later in his striker's role. Shane Tracey did well coming in at left-back. There was nothing wrong with the Dundalk defence bar the late blunder that gave Treaty the draw.

But to me, Dean Ebbe disappointed up front. He never threatened Treaty even though he did have a couple of efforts. Dundalk supporters will rightly point out that Dean is the club's leading goal scorer.

He was also the leading scorer in the First Division last season. But he never caused the Treaty defence any problems at all. For the entire 76 minutes, he was on the pitch. But then the supply into the forward line was poor.

The Dundalk midfield got bogged down in a battle with a Treaty side who crowded that area. Treaty also played a very defensive game which Dundalk could just not break down.

But the flair, creativity and excitement that this Dundalk team have played with for most of the season was absent for the second if not the third week in a row. It's deserted Dundalk at the wrong time. They are unbeaten.

But they have dropped too many points with draws. So much so, that Cobh are very much back in the automatic promotion race. If Dundalk are to go back to the Premier Division this is their best chance.

There is no outstanding team like Cork City and Galway to worry about. Right now, it's Cork and Sligo who are the teams that maybe in Division One next

season.

Were Cork to be relegated they would come straight back up. Sligo too would be very strong. There is a golden chance for Dundalk to go straight back up now. This is because the quality of the teams is so poor. Next season that will be very different

Some supporters say there is no point in Dundalk going straight back up, they will be relegated at the end of the season. The point being made is that they will not be strong enough to compete at the higher level.

There is a lot of sense to that point. But then it's over to club owner John Temple to answer the question would Ciaran Kilduff be given the resources he needs to keep Dundalk in the top flight?

If the answer is no, then Dundalk will come straight back down. That would be a disaster as it happened in 2002. Dundalk were promoted back to the Premier Division that season.

Sadly they were relegated the same season. The club went from one crisis to another for eight long seasons until they managed to get promotion.

They were in a number of relegation promotion playoffs but survived. In December 2012 Stephen Kenny arrived and the rest was history.

We must all remember how close Dundalk came to going out of business. The new owners have had to comply with so many regulations to avoid getting into the mess they were handed last season.

There is no point in Dundalk going up this season and then being relegated the following season. It would destabilise the club badly and set them back for many seasons as it did in 2002.

The current owners I am sure have enough preoccupying themselves about keeping the club week by week this season. But they must surely be thinking about next season and what can they do if the club are promoted.

Will Dundalk have the money at their disposal to sign enough experienced players that will give them a chance of staying up if they go up? I disagree totally with people who say that another season in the First Division will do no harm.

There would be a big fear that if they stay there, the club will rot in Division One for a prolonged period. Attendances are already dropping this past few months. God help us if they dropped to around 600.

That's what they were in the bad old days of post-2002. The club went into severe liquidity problems. The move that saved it was the sale of Eamonn Hiney Park for around 700,000 euro to Gerry Mathews who became the new owner.

The huge downturn in the economy post-2009, saw property prices drop considerably. Hiney Park was sold for a staggering 45,000 euro only a few tears following its sale a few years later.

The game on Friday was a typically dour First Division game. The football was poor and one would know straight away that it was the lower tier of League of Ireland football. Dundalk failed to have a single effort on goal directly for most of the first half.

Treaty deserved to go ahead on 15 minutes when Lee Devitt's effort header from a Nikodem Kozlowski Cross forced Enda Minogue into a top-class save. The ball was heading straight into the net.

Dundalk came close on 56 minutes when a Daryl Horgan free saw Sean McHale head narrowly over. Lee Devitt was very unlucky not to open the scoring for Treaty soon after.

It was goal-bound and had beaten Minogue. The effort was blocked on the line by a Dundalk defender. With 21 minutes, left Luke Mulligan was not afraid to move forward.

His effort was only inches wide of the post. It was all Dundalk now. Leo Gaxha created a great chance for himself. Again his effort was only inches away.

The breakthrough came on 86 minutes. Andy Paraschiv went on a run down the left. He easily beat a Treaty defender. He fed the ball to the stealthy Harry Groome.

Groome did not panic as he looked up for the opening. With great skill, he curled the ball through a crowded Treaty goalmouth. The ball hit the bottom left-hand corner of the net. It looked as if Dundalk had won.

There was great celebrations around Oriel as fans now believed Dundalk would now hold onto their six-point lead over Cobh Ramblers who were coasting to victory.

Kilduff reshaped his side and, to a five-man defence instead of a three-man defence. Midfield resorted to four while there was just the single striker rather than the two Kilduff had played as they looked for their lead goal.

Treaty struck for their equaliser two minutes into injury time. Yousef Mahdy got a cross in from the right. The Dundalk defence were very poor as they failed to deal with the ball.

It found Mark Walsh who had enough time to compose himself and shoot home. Enda Minogue should have stopped the effort. But he did not.

A few Dundalk players were in absolute despair as they lay on the ground in the penalty area hoping the goal would be disallowed.

But it was a good goal and Dundalk for the second week in a row had thrown away two massive points. The players took their eyes off the ball and thought they had won.

They failed to remember how they blew a two-goal lead to Treaty in March at Oriel. The entire team took their foot off the clutch again on Friday and allowed Treaty to snatch a draw.

It was two points thrown way and has allowed Cobh right back into the automatic promotion race. Monday night Dundalk played Finn Harps at Ballybofey.

It was a full programme of First Division games. Depending on those results, the visit to Oriel by Cobh on Friday should be very interesting.

After the game, I carried out a very detailed interview with Ciaran Kilduff. I suggested to him that had to be very disappointed. "It's a tough one to take. It's so raw. It really hurts."

I suggested to the manager that for the first 70 minutes of the game it was a very poor affair. I said that it was not the usual performance we would see from Dundalk.

I also said that Paraschiv had an immediate effect when he came in and that Harry Groome took his goal very well.

"Harry took his goal really well. We had a slightly weaker team tonight than usual. We had a couple of injuries. So it was not our usual back four at all. But the younger players we had out tonight did well.

"I would never throw anybody under the bus. Shane Tracey has never played left full in his life. Luke Mulligan played at right back getting two games in a row. He has been doing great for us. He stood up for us when he was needed.

"That is what we are looking for. That's why I am gutted for them. There was a huge elated feeling for them when we went ahead. The equaliser was a killer blow. We went with a back three to try and win the game just before we took the lead.

"I changed the formation to give us more spaces and give us a chance further up the pitch. When we scored I pushed Aodh back to right full and resorted to the back four.I thought we would see the game out, given the little time we had left.

"But we were all left hurting. But I want to make the point that our defence tonight was the youngest ever in the history of Dundalk Football Club.They are hurting like men. We do not want to treat them like kids. We do not have that luxury."

I asked the manager if he thought of making changes at the break.

"The first 11 tonight is what we have. We knew with seven players missing and all the young players we have, we had to be very selective when we were going to make the changes.

"Andy got an illness that set him back for a couple of weeks. And then you are trying to get different players back as soon as you can.

"Andy will be a massive player for us. It was only his second game back for us in quite a while. Sean McHale was massive for us tonight. That was his first full game back for us in a couple of months."

I suggested to the manager that the Cobh game on Friday night would be massive. "The occasion should be huge. It's the biggest game of the season.

"We know what we are playing. It should be a great occasion and hopefully, it will draw out the crowds." I told the manager that you could feel the deflation the players felt when they gave away the late goal.

I suggested that the team had taken their feet off the gas after Dundalk went in front. "I had it drilled into the team to be on their guard if they were in front coming into the final stages of the game given what has happened against Treaty in the past.

"We had the ball in their corner to run down the clock. But we did not keep it in their corner. They came back at us and got into our box. We did not defend the ball. The cross came into our box and we did not clear it.

"We left far too much space in the box. And they scored. Look there is a lot to dissect from what happened. We all have to put our hands up. We should have won the game."

Asked about signing new players and one of them being a right full I asked him was Luke Mulligan's place now in danger.

"No, the new signing will have to take the place off Luke. I am trying to be as consistent as I have been all year. I play people who I think will be ready. That's my job. Look we are going to need a bigger squad for certain games."

I suggested to the manager that he needed a striker. "We have Dean Ebbe, Eoin Kenny and Gbemi Arubi and they have all contributed to the team massively in their own way.

"Gbemi Arubi has picked up an injury but has been good. Dean Ebbe has scored seven goals for us and is our leading goal scorer. Eoin Kenny was very good for us when he went in as a striker. 

On Dean Ebbe, I suggested to the manager that he has been disappointing. I said I know he scores goals in some games but that in others he does not.

The manager says it was the hardest place he was playing on the pitch. Dean finished as the First Division leading scorer last season.

Dean is an excellent player. I guarantee you that before the end of the season, he will be celebrating a lot of goals. The stats show that Dean is an excellent player."

I asked the manager if he would be going for a striker. "If one becomes available. There is nothing on the horizon in that area. The window is not even open yet. I have players on my target, other than a striker.

"I will be bringing in a minimum of one player and possibly a second player. I have also seven players coming back from suspension and injury. The manager asked me if I would consider Norman Garbett a new player."

I said that I had not seen him this season. But I said I saw him playing in Tallaght last season when Dundalk played Shamrock Rovers. I said that in the time that I had seen him play in that game, he would not have impressed me.

I asked him if he had seen Norman play. He said he had signed him. The manager said that he saw him pre-season in some games. He said that he was a huge player.

The manager insisted that Norman Garbett will be a big player as will Ethan Vaughan. Both players were injured pre-season. The manager said that I was on about who the club needs.

He said that JR Wilson has signed for the club. Ethan Vaughan will be returning as will Conor O'Keeffe Mayowa, Gbemi Arubi and Sean Keogh. Kilduff will not be adding too many more.

Finally, it's believed that Norman Garbett will return in three weeks. Norman comes from New Zealand. He was very anxious to return to Dundalk after he picked up the serious injury he got last season.

He is obviously a very committed young man. The club needs players like Norman who has that attitude. But when I was asking Ciaran Kilduff about new players it was not about ones returning from injury or suspension.

Ciaran gave me an answer that a politician would give in that he was giving the impression that the other players returning were almost like new signings.

Ciaran may not have intended to give that impression. But that is the one I picked up. The Dundalk manager has faced a massive task to attempting to getting Dundalk back to the Premier Division.

No other manager could be doing as good a job than he has been doing, given his tight budget and reliance on so many young players. We are at a crucial stage of the season and Dundalk have been struggling of late.

They do need to bring in new players if they are to succeed this year. There were 1,428 people at the game on Friday. Attendance continues to fall as well.

This Dundalk team have the quality to play exciting football. But the opposition packs their defence and does everything to slow the game down. Thus it has been very difficult for Dundalk to display the quality they can show.

Andy Paraschiv was the player who created the Dundalk goal out of nothing. He had only been on the pitch when he ripped open the Limerick defence with three minutes remaining to set up Harry Groome for the goal.

"I thought the whole team created chances and defended well during the entire game. But they have hurt us three times now this season by snatching an equaliser in the dying minutes of these games.

"We just have to be better at defending. And we could have done better by concentrating more for the last five minutes. I think we switched off for the last five minutes and that allowed them to get the equaliser.

"We just did not concentrate for the injury time given. That's football. If you do not defend. I think the goal started from a throw-in we had in their half. Passes went back.

"The goalkeeper went out for a throw. We did not defend our box did not defend our box and that should not have happened. It's an awful pity this has happened three times against Treaty.

"Cobh will come down next Friday looking to beat us. We have beaten them twice this season. I always try to make a difference in a game. It was great to be involved in the lead goal. I think I helped.

"I gave Harry the assist for the goal. We also have to be able to score more. One goal a game is not enough. I think we have to get more shots on target. We must also get luckier as well.

"For myself, everything is going very well here for me at Oriel so far. This was my 16th game appearance. I just want to do well at Dundalk. I come on as a sub mostly.

"Obviously, I would prefer to start in more games. But that is up to the plans of the gaffer. He wants to do what is best for the team overall. I just try and make a difference every time I come on.

"Hopefully, I can start games on a more regular basis. I started my career by playing underage at Bohemians. I was with Bohemians from the under 13's to the under 17's.

"Then I took a step backwards by joining Glebe North in the Leinster Senior League. Then I had a few offers before Dundalk came in with an offer.

"I came down here and took a look at the scene. It was obvious that the best plan was for me to join Dundalk."

Daryl Horgan told me after the game that he was gutted about the result. "It was so hard to get ourselves in front and then we are unable to see out the game. It's very disappointing.

"Yes, our late goal looked to have sealed the game for us. But in our three games this season against Treaty we have given them three late goals. We have nobody to blame but ourselves.

"There are a lot of leaders in our group. A lot was said in there after the game. Everybody said their piece. The game on Monday night against Finn Harps in Ballybofey is another huge game.

"We have to go and pick up three points there. We can not afford to go around feeling sorry for ourselves. We can't dwell on this result. We must go looking for points.

"I thought that as a team we played very well for the entire 90 minutes. It was not just the last 20 minutes that we played well. Playing against Treaty and the tactics they opted for, made it very difficult for us in our challenge.

"They were a very difficult team to break down. When teams are coming here they are ball-watching and trying to hit us on the break. That's what maybe gives the impression that the game could be of better quality.

"But that's the game we will be playing against for the rest of the season. Other teams will adopt these tactics. Then in the last twenty minutes, they will tire. And that means the games will become more open.

"That's when we will get our chance. Treaty may have sensed that those last 20 minutes gave them a chance against us.

"But we need to become more streetwise how to see games like these out. We have been streetwise for the majority of the season. For some reason, we were not tonight.

"For me our the biggest game is the one against Harps on Monday night not Cobh on Friday night. If we take the eye off the prize in Ballybofey on Monday night we will be turned over. All games are huge. Our next one is in Donegal on Monday night."

Well as you read this you all know the result of the Harps game and how Cobh did in their game. The season has come to a critical phase. Incidentally, there were only eight Treaty supporters in Oriel on Monday.

Limerick to Dundalk return is a long distance of 340 miles. Sadly the supporters bus did not have enough numbers to be a viable run. Thus only eight supporters from Limerick were in Oriel.

There should be well over 2,000 supporters at the top-of-the-table game against Cobh on Friday. Have a great week. Please look after each other. And always remember to be careful out there.