Dundalk midfielder believes point could be crucial after dramatic draw

Keith Ward believes that the point salvaged from Dundalk FC’s thrilling 3-3 draw with Kerry could yet prove pivotal in the battle for the SSE Airtricity League First Division crown.

Introduced at half-time, Ward made an immediate impact—finding the net himself and supplying an assist—as Dundalk clawed their way back from behind on three separate occasions to earn a share of the spoils at Oriel Park.

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Though The Lilywhites were unable to conjure a decisive winner—allowing their lead at the summit to be trimmed to six points once more—Ward remains optimistic that the hard-fought draw may ultimately stand as a vital step in their pursuit of the title, with just seven matches of the campaign remaining.

“Hopefully it could be a big point in the end, but we’re disappointed,” he told The Democrat. “The match was absolute carnage. It’s disappointing in the end; we showed a bit of character coming back three times, but if you give away three goals at home, you probably don’t deserve to win a game. The goals we gave up are poor.

“When you give teams a chance for something to hold onto, they make it difficult. They slow the game down, and to be fair to them, they defended well at times. You give a team three chances to go in the lead and they’re slowing the game down; it’s disappointing.

“We’ve got to take that as two points lost, but we’re still in a good place, and you just go to Wexford next week and turn it back around and get a win.”

Dundalk trailed 2-1 at the break against Kerry, prompting manager Ciaran Kilduff to introduce three substitutes, among them the experienced Ward.

The veteran playmaker made an immediate impact, setting up Daryl Horgan for an equaliser, and, though a lapse in possession allowed Kerry to edge 3-2 in front, Ward atoned in style by striking back with a goal of his own to restore parity once more.

“He’s looking for a reaction,” said Ward. “It happened here earlier in the season (against Kerry). I was one of the ones that came off at half-time, and the lads that came on did well and we won the game.

“I’ve come on, set up the goal for Horgs, but to be fair, I lost the ball two, three minutes later, and they’ve gone up the pitch and scored. I think I got the goal there; I don’t know if it’s an own goal, but we got it.

“Then we’re hoping to kick on. We huffed and puffed, and it would’ve been nice to get the winner here, send the place home wild, but it wasn’t to be. Maybe it’s a big point come the end of the season—who knows?”

In the 52nd minute, Ward struck his fourth goal of the campaign, finishing a slick interchange with Horgan by deftly nudging the ball over the Kerry goalkeeper with his knee, ultimately salvaging a 3-3 draw for The Lilywhites.

“I don’t think I’ve ever scored with my knee, I don’t remember many knee goals going in,” he laughed. “I’ve tried a one-two with Horgs, and he gave an unbelievable ball back to me. I don’t know if I got ahead of it, but I just tried to get it on target, and lucky enough it went in.

“You want to help the team, and I was happy to score and set up Horgs, but you can tell we’re disappointed. But it could be a big point.

“We’re just looking at ourselves,” he added. “Worst case, we go to Cobh at the end of the season; we might have to go there and win it, but we’re not thinking like that. To be fair to the gaffer, he’s been brilliant, and to be fair to the group in there, we can’t wait for Wexford now.

“You’ve got a disappointed group in there, and we’ll be disappointed this weekend. To be honest, that’s what I like about this group: any little setbacks we have had this year, we have bounced back, and we’re all eager now to get back in and set things right.”