Dundalk facing defensive blow as JR Wilson sidelined until September
JR Wilson set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury in training
Dundalk FC’s injury problems have deepened ahead of a crucial run of fixtures, with JR Wilson set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a hamstring injury in training before Friday night’s 1-1 SSE Airtricity League Premier Division draw with St Patrick’s Athletic at Richmond Park.
The influential defender missed the trip to Inchicore because of the setback, and it is understood he is not expected to return until at least September.
Harvey Warren also remains unavailable, although the former Bray Wanderers defender is believed to be around three weeks away from making his comeback.
Wilson’s absence leaves Ciaran Kilduff further stretched defensively at a time when his squad is also adapting to changes brought about by the transfer window.
Despite seeing his side surrender a half-time lead after Daryl Horgan’s penalty, Kilduff was satisfied to leave Richmond Park with a point against title-chasing St Pats.
“It’s a tough one because we were winning at half-time again and conceded from a set piece again, so there is frustration in that,” he said.
“But it’s not a bad point in Inchicore. I suppose they’re a team probably aspiring to win the league. I read Stephen Kenny’s comments earlier in the week that they needed to win the game.
“I even felt late on, at 1-1, we might catch them. There might be opportunities, but you can see what we’re dealing with there.
“It’s a first league appearance for Egor Vassenin, a first league start for Trevor Clarke, and a first appearance for Cian Dillon, so there were a lot of moving parts there for us. It’s one of those nights where you just take the point and move on.”
Dundalk recovered from an uncertain opening to enjoy the better of the latter stages of the first half, with Trevor Clarke striking the post before winning the penalty that Horgan converted.
“Trevor hit the post, then he wins a penalty. Then there was another one that looked like another handball for a penalty. We looked really threatening for huge moments,” Kilduff said.
“The first 15 minutes reminded me of the game in Dalymount against Bohs a few weeks ago, where they started, they scored, and we were under the cosh, weathered a few storms and then grew into it.
“We had moments, we had big moments in the game. Don’t get me wrong, they have so much quality that they can hurt you at any given point.”
Sean Hoare’s second-half equaliser from a corner meant Dundalk have now conceded 17 Premier Division goals from set pieces this season, a statistic that continues to frustrate their manager.
“Conceding from a set piece is killing me because… everyone’s getting yellow cards in the first half for everything,” he said.
“So I had to make the decision at half-time to take Rob Cornwall off. There was a handball that followed, and I couldn’t trust the officiating not to give another yellow for something very lukewarm. It was that type of game.
“And Egor comes in. It’s Rob’s man who scores, but he’s only another kid who’s just come into the building. It’s not one person’s fault, but again, just a little bit of frustration on that.”
Kilduff also felt there were opportunities to snatch all three points as St Pats pushed forward in the closing stages.
“If that was there to be won late on in the game, I felt we might catch them because I thought they’d throw the kitchen sink at it, and they’re very aggressive with the bodies they commit forward,” he said.
“There were opportunities. Declan McDaid fell over the ball once or twice there in key moments – that’s not like him. Those moments came and passed, and if we were maybe a little bit more decisive in those moments, we might have nicked it.”
Dundalk remain fourth in the Premier Division on 36 points from 25 matches as they prepare to host Sligo Rovers at Oriel Park on Friday night (kick-off, 7.45pm).
They have also been handed a favourable home tie against non-league Castlebar Celtic in the last 16 of the FAI Cup, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Sligo will travel to Oriel under new manager Darren Purse, leaving Kilduff unsure what to expect from the Bit O’ Red.
“You don’t know what they’re going to be,” he said. “But even ourselves tonight, there’s a lot of figuring out going on. They’ve got loan players going back, their manager left, but no more than ourselves.
“We’ve lost Eoin Kenny and Gbemi Arubi and signed three already. Pats haven’t signed a player this window yet. Bohs have a lot of continuity there. They’re not losing players really, and they’re keeping what they have.
“The lesser teams in the division get pillaged. Then you have to go and be creative and bring something in. They’re a bit of an unknown, but so are we. I’m assuming they were watching tonight.”