Keith Ward goal sees Dundalk end the season on a high note

SSE Airtricity League Premier Division

Derry City 0-1 Dundalk

The SSE Airtricity League season ended on a high for Dundalk FC on Sunday night, with The Lilywhites recording a 1-0 win over Derry City at the Ryan McBride Brandywell.

Although the margin wasn’t enough to lift Dundalk into second position, it did provide a fitting end to what has been an accomplished first campaign in charge for Stephen O’Donnell, who had to watch on from the stands as he served a one-game suspension.

Keith Ward was one of six changes made by Dundalk for this encounter, and he popped up with the game’s only goal in the ninth minute, as The Lilywhites finished the campaign in third position with 66 points, the exact same tally as runners-up Derry.

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Only a three-goal winning margin would have lifted Dundalk into second, but finishing 18 points better off than last season, and a return to Europe cements a productive year.

“This has been a brilliant season from the players,” head coach O’Donnell told local media afterwards. “They’ve been terrific. I think we lost just six games in 36. I can’t speak highly enough of them.

“I think it is a case of probably flowing under the radar a little bit, but we’ve finished level on points with Derry.

“I think if you’d asked anyone at the start of the season, if you would be happy, very happy or surprised, with Dundalk sort of rebuilding and starting from scratch doing that, they all would’ve said without a doubt.”

Dundalk hit the front early on, when Ward’s initial corner from the right wasn’t cleared by Derry, with the ball eventually finding its way back to Ward, who then finished superbly into the bottom corner with a wicked first-time volley from the edge of the box.

“It’s a brilliant strike,” said O’Donnell. “I have to watch it again to probably fully appreciate it. He’s at an angle there, half-volley and he’s just caught it so sweet.

“Everyone knows his technical ability. He has loads and loads of ability, it’s getting the best out of him all the time, but he’s had a massive impact.”

Derry’s first chance of note came on 18 minutes through Joe Thomson, who headed over the top of Peter Cherrie’s crossbar after he had got on the end of a Daniel Lafferty cross.

Then came the game’s big talking point less than a minute after that wayward attempt, as both teams were reduced to ten players, with Sadou Diallo and Robbie McCourt both receiving straight red cards from referee Robert Hennessy as a result of an altercation.

Television replays appeared to show McCourt digging a punch into the back of Diallo, whose aggressive retaliation now costs him any chance of featuring in the FAI Cup final.

“If there’s any way of avoiding giving red cards, I think you have to go that way, so I’m not sure. He obviously saw Diallo do something, brandished a red, then there was a time I think he had a red and a yellow out. I assume Rob was giving Robbie the yellow, and then in the melee in between, he decided it was a red.”

Not quite the end-of-season dead rubber perhaps anticipated, an explosive start in Derry continued with Dundalk almost doubling their advantage, as Ward burst through before feeding David McMillan, who was somehow foiled by a brilliant save from Brian Maher. 

At the other end, James Akintunde forced two stops out of Dundalk netminder Cherrie; before Thomson forced the ex-Derry goalkeeper into another save right before half-time.

Five minutes after the game had resumed, McMillan fired an audacious shot from distance which was never likely to trouble Republic of Ireland U21 international Maher. 

Ex-Dundalk man Cameron Dummigan was named Derry’s player of the year prior to kick-off, and his rasping shot from 40 yards whistled just shy of the top-right corner.

Along with the Derry support, Ruaidhri Higgins was incensed when a late challenge just inside the box from John Martin on Ryan Graydon didn’t yield the awarding of a penalty.

Brandon Kavanagh curled a shot miles off the intended target, and was subsequently replaced by Will Patching, who after being set up by Akintunde, forced 39-year-old Cherrie into a superb save, clawing the Englishman’s shot over and out for a corner.

As the game entered its closing stages, Graydon’s shot from outside the area fizzed just over, but former Dundalk player Patching was nowhere near as close shortly afterwards.

Jamie McGonigle should have salvaged a point for The Candystripes, but after Thomson took advantage of a slip from Andy Boyle before putting the ball on a plate for the Derry forward, he somehow missed the target from close range when it looked easier to score.

That was the chance Derry were crying out for on a frustrating night for them, but Dundalk weren’t to be denied, and recorded a second win of the season on Foyleside.

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Derry City: Brian Maher; Ronan Boyce, Shane McEleney, Cameron McJannet, Daniel Lafferty (Ciaran Coll 72); Sadou Diallo, Cameron Dummigan; Brandon Kavanagh (Will Patching 57), Joe Thomson (Jordan McEneff 83), Ryan Graydon; James Akintunde (Jamie McGonigle 72).

Subs not used: Jack Lemoignan (gk), Mark Connolly, Patrick McEleney, Declan Glass, Cian Kavanagh.

Dundalk FC: Peter Cherrie; Lewis Macari, Brian Gartland (Andy Boyle 80), Darragh Leahy, Robbie McCourt; Keith Ward (Steven Bradley 71), Alfie Lewis; Runar Hauge, John Martin (Ryan O’Kane 63), Joe Adams; David McMillan (Patrick Hoban 71).

Subs not used: Nathan Shepperd (gk), Mark Byrne (gk), Emmanuel Adegboyega, Senan Mullen.

Referee: Robert Hennessy (Limerick)