O'Donnell looking forward to prolonged FAI Cup run

Stephen O’Donnell was delighted to see his Dundalk FC side advance to the quarter-finals of the Sports Direct FAI Cup following a hard-fought 1-0 win at Bray Wanderers.

Although situated in the First Division’s bottom half, Bray, captained by former Lilywhite favourite Dane Massey, kept the match scoreless for 86 minutes, but their resistance was finally broken when Daryl Horgan’s deflected volley found its way home.

That goal proved decisive, meaning Dundalk take their place in the quarter-finals where they will face Galway United at Eamonn Deacy Park.

“It was a great win,” head coach O’Donnell told Democrat columnist Gerry Malone.

“They were tough conditions, but I thought we controlled the game well. As it went on, missing the chances we had, you’re a bit worried that it might come back to bite us, but we stayed patient and persevered, and we got our just rewards.

“It’s hard playing against a team that are sitting in their own half, to really go and find gaps. But I thought we were patient, disciplined, done well, and we’re delighted to be through to the quarter-finals.”

As Storm Betty swept across Ireland, conditions at the Carlisle Grounds were unplayable at times, but given that just over 15km up the road, UCD’s tie with Galway United was abandoned at half-time, O’Donnell was grateful the match was completed on the night.

“The conditions were as extreme and as bad as you’re going to find,” he added. “But full credit to Bray, the surface was immaculate.

“I’d say any other grass pitch with that weather, the game would’ve been called off, but it held up so well and it never cut up, so hats off to the grounds people at the club there for having the pitch in such good shape.”

Things might have been more comfortable for Dundalk, had Connor Malley converted his 15th-minute penalty, but his high effort down the middle crashed off the crossbar.

“It was a big opportunity to go 1-0 up, but it wasn’t to be,” reflected O’Donnell.

“I thought Connor reacted well to it, I wanted to see what he was like then in regards his reaction to missing it. Anyone can miss a penalty, so our reaction as a team, and Connor as an individual was good.

“I think it would have been a different game had we scored the penalty. It would have been difficult for Bray to try and get back into it. The miss allowed Bray to sort of stay and stick to their game plan and get everyone behind the ball.”

Malley’s miss means Dundalk have now failed to convert four of their last six penalties.

“They haven’t all been the same penalty takers that have missed,” explained O’Donnell. “It’s not for the want of practice, we practiced all week, and Connor was striking the penalties brilliantly all week.

“It just can happen, and we’ve missed four of our last six. But them things can happen, that’s ultimately it, it’s been different takers etcetera.”

Ryan O’Kane was lively before being withdrawn in the 39th minute for Sam Durrant due to an injury, but the Ardee Road native should be okay to return to the squad this week.

“He just has a little bit of pressure going down his shin,” disclosed O’Donnell. “It just sort of really came to the fore last night. He was feeling uncomfortable, so we’ll get him assessed and see where we’re at, but hopefully it shouldn’t be anything real serious.”

While Keith Ward and John Mountney are still out of action for the foreseeable, Dundalk were handed a boost with Robbie Benson returning to full training last week, before playing over an hour of the U19’s 4-1 win over Bray in Greystones on Sunday afternoon.

The Lilywhites are back on the SSE Airtricity League beat this Friday night, when they travel to Tallaght Stadium to take on table-toppers Shamrock Rovers (kick-off, 7.45pm).

With just nine league fixtures remaining, fifth-place Dundalk find themselves eight points behind Rovers, who have won just once in their last nine competitive outings.

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For O’Donnell, a win against Rovers on Friday would be his first in Tallaght as a manager, having never beaten The Hoops on their home patch in seven attempts.

“We got two good results over Shamrock Rovers at Oriel, and we’ll be looking forward to it. I think we’ve lost two of our last 14 going into it, so we’re in good form, and it’s a game we’re really looking forward to next Friday. We’ve set it up nicely after the Bray win.”